


By the Last Starlight

by babyblueglasses



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Ambiguity, Blood, Captivity, Cock Cages, Dehumanization, Denial of Feelings, Don't copy to another site, Explicit Sexual Content, Fae & Fairies, Gags, Jealousy, Kidnapped Tony Stark, M/M, Magic, Manipulation, Manipulative Loki (Marvel), Mutual Pining, Pining, Protective Loki (Marvel), Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Spanking, Threats of Cannibalism, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Voyeurism, ambiguous consent nipple piercing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:34:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 82,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22514914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babyblueglasses/pseuds/babyblueglasses
Summary: To pay his debt to Prince Loki, Tony is taken captive in the fairy realm. There Tony finds himself trapped between two princes, playing a game by rules he can't begin to follow.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 556
Kudos: 313





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story picks up where [this one shot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20853824/chapters/51814177) left off.

Tony sat at the end of his bed, pulling a heavy pair of wool socks on. He yawned, rubbing at his eye in the dim light. The rented cabin was colder than he’d thought it would be.

“Oh, splendid. You’re not dead.” 

Tony’s heart slammed in his chest as he barked out a shout of surprise. He knew that voice.

Shaking, Tony turned towards it. He blinked several times before his vision cleared enough that he could make out two green eyes staring back at him.

If possible, they were more supernatural than they were five years ago.

Loki hadn’t aged a day. He wore the same angled black eyeliner as the last time he’d seen Tony, the same shimmery dust along his skin and green metallic paint on his eyelids. An amused but unkind smile slipped gracefully across Loki’s lips. “Your memory is still sharp it seems. Excellent.” 

Loki was sitting cross legged on the bed behind Tony. That wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be able to just sit on his bed so casually.

Tony swallowed, but his throat was too dry to speak.

“I know mortals wither so quickly,” Loki explained, as though it was painfully boring to indulge Tony with that information. “And, how fortunate for you, I’ve already thought of how you can repay your debt to me!” 

Tony was sweating. He was shaking too, and for a moment Loki watched him tremble with detached curiosity. 

“There will be a hunt,” Loki said. “You will wait beside the oak tree that I show you so that I may find you—”

A blast of light hit Loki square in the chest.

Smoke flared, singed fabric scorching Tony’s nose as the wave of smoke drifted up Loki’s chest and past his face. He stared at his chest in shock for a moment. Then, so slowly that every hair on Tony’s body stood up on end, he turned to Tony, livid. 

His voice was a low, malicious whisper. “You think to attack me, when I have so generously—”

Tony’s body was enveloped in armor. He staggered backwards off the bed, ready to fire again, only to scream out in terror as the metal was ripped from his body. 

Loki peeled back the metal like tin foil on a chocolate egg.

“Tha—that’s i—iron,” Tony stammered. “You can’t touch it!”

“Iron?” Loki asked, inspecting a piece as he turned it over in his hand. He grinned, entertained by the thought. “I must say, I have yet to witness a human grow metal from their skin.” He flicked what was left of Tony’s gauntlet away. 

It hit the floor with a dull thud. 

Loki peeled what was rest of the armor away, crouched over Tony as he made quick work of it. Loki stood.

Tony was left shivering in his underwear and socks in the bedroom of his rented cabin. This weekend had been about getting away from it all. About getting a much needed break from directing SHIELD. 

Loki brushed a hand over the singed fabric on his chest. Immediately, the fabric knitted itself back together as though nothing had happened.

“I would eat you instead, but I have grown rather attached to my plan, and you have so much gray hair that I hardly think you’d taste good.” 

Tony ran a hand though his hair, suddenly self-conscious of the silver fox look he’d thought he was pulling off. “Plan,” he said. It was a miracle he could speak at all. He was on the verge of passing out.

“Yes,” Loki said, clasping his hands together. His robe flared out from him as he took a step back from Tony, gracefully navigating over the shredded iron that had encased Tony’s thigh. “I was telling you about a hunt before you rudely interrupted me and attacked my person, was I not?”

He waited, and Tony realized he had to answer. He nodded his head. 

Loki continued then as though nothing had happened. “We will each seize a human during this hunt and bring them to the mid-autumn festival for entertainment.” Loki tilted his head, the light catching on his face with a shimmer. “I thought what fun it would be to bring you about again. Can you imagine how the people would react? The _same_ human as before, caught again. It would be quite entertaining.” 

“And after?” 

Loki blinked at him with owlish eyes. 

“I suppose that then I’ll decide whether or not I desire another debt from you.” Tony shook. Loki took a step towards him, but there was nowhere for Tony to go but against the wall. Loki brushed his hand against Tony’s cheek before resting his fingers on Tony’s forehead.

Tony saw a field with a distinct oak tree. Suddenly, he knew how to get there and when. It was burned into his mind, unforgettable.

“If you’re—” Tony gulped in a breath, determined to speak. “J-just going to eat me at the end of all this, do it now.” 

“So you can avoid paying your debt?” 

Tony wiped sweat from his brow. He’d been so sure that the suit would stop Loki. Iron had been the backup plan. “Return me here,” Tony said, thinking on his feet. “And I’ll—I’ll owe you something else. I’ll make you something. Like the—the suit.” 

Loki spoke with solemn certainty. “There is nothing you can make that I will desire.” He stepped back, folding his arms over his chest. “Perhaps you should endeavor to earn my favor to bring you back here, Iron Man.” Loki smirked at the moniker.

Tony balked. He’d never heard that name spoken with such mocking derision before. Not even by Steve.

“You know where you are meant to be to repay your debt,” Loki said. “I will grant you some mercy and allow you the warning that you will have no ability to avoid it, no matter what you try.” 

Loki was gone the moment he finished the sentence. 

Tony drew his knees up against his chest, gasping for breath.

He didn’t care what Loki said. He at least had to try. 

Tony wouldn’t have been Tony if he didn’t try. But it was as useless as his suit had been. Tony couldn't’ even arm him himself. Tony found his legs and mind carrying him to the field of trees late in the night, a day later. He settled beneath the oak tree and closed his eyes.

Dr. Strange had worked out what had happened to Tony during the kidnapping five years ago. Even though Tony couldn’t talk about it, he’d been able to sneak in enough hints for Strange to put it together.

And Strange had told him with the same sort of clinical detachment that Tony’s doctors spoke to him in, that there would be no escaping the debt. He’d given Strange the sign that the time had come, but that had been all he’d been able to do. SHIELD would have to carry on without him.

The bark of the oak tree dug into Tony’s back. 

He let his head fall against it. There was a low fog hanging over the clearing, and Tony found himself foolishly wishing it would hide him. 

It wasn’t much longer before Tony heard a horn sound in the far distance. 

A thunder of hoofbeats pounded like a storm rolling in. A man’s voice cried out in fear. Tony wondered if they were human. As the hoofbeats got closer, Tony held his breath. 

The stampede got closer. As the ground beneath him began to shake, Tony looked in spite of himself.

Gorgeous, glowing horses galloped past, their manes decorated with streamers and flora. Each rider was also stunning, though obviously not human. It only made the humans in the laps of a few riders look more human in comparison. Tony couldn’t make out much of them besides recognizing that they were captive. 

The glow of the hunting party clung to the fog. As they began to pass, Tony’s dread grew. He looked for a familiar face, his heart stopping when he finally saw it.

Loki’s black horse pulled off from the party, the white star on its forehead shining. Loki was breathtaking in that moment. 

Still, Tony trembled with fear.

As Loki got closer Tony could see that he was smiling, eyes hungry. 

Tony readied himself. He could charm Loki into letting him get home. It was his only way out. 

Loki’s horse slowed, only a few paces from the tree, when Loki’s eyes flared wide. Tony’s collar yanked upwards, the brutal force of it knocking the wind from him. He was dropped onto a horse, a heavy arm wrapped around his waist. 

Tony glanced back, dizzy. 

It was another face he knew that hadn’t aged.

Prince Thor.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony’s breath turned frantic, the sharp huffs muffling his ears. Thor’s arm was a vice grip around his waist. His heat radiated against Tony’s back, trapping Tony, leaving him powerless. 

Prince Thor wasn’t as generous as Prince Loki, and Prince Loki wasn’t generous. Prince Thor was brash and self-confident, and Tony didn’t doubt for a second that he’d self-indulge if a whim struck him instead of combing through ways to manipulate the situation like Loki seemed to.

At least with Prince Loki, Tony had a shot at getting home. Loki had granted it once. Maybe Tony could convince him to again, or make it a game that Loki would want to play. His brother didn’t seem to care for playing games the way Loki did. To Tony, that made Prince Thor more dangerous.

Loki’s horse took a step forward, a branch snapping beneath its hoof. Tony’s eyes darted to the motion and then to Loki.

Loki’s eyes blazed with fury, but a charming, almost fond smile was sliding across his lips. Tony’s soft brown eyes silently pleaded at Loki to take him back. 

“My,” Loki said, his voice like honey. “What an interesting catch you’ve made, brother.” 

Thor huffed, his warm breath blowing against Tony’s bare neck and sending another wave of panic like a pulse beneath his skin. “Indeed,” Thor answered, his voice deep with bravado. Under other circumstances, Tony would’ve told him to use his inside-voice. 

He was too terrified to do that now. 

“Does he not look familiar?” Thor asked, grabbing Tony’s chin and carelessly tipping it up to take a better look at him. Tony squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t fucking do this.

Loki’s horse clopped against the decaying leaves littering the forest floor. “No need to be so coy, brother. I know exactly who he is.” 

Thor let go of Tony’s jaw and Tony immediately tucked it against his chest, hunching his shoulders inward. He could feel Loki’s presence by his side. 

He wasn’t expecting for Loki’s hand to brush against the side of his face. He startled as it did, letting out an odd, strangled sound. “He was quite a handful last time,” Loki drawled, gathering the reins again. “I suppose if you do not wish for your catch to go to waste on this sorry prey, I can take him for you, brother. You know I do not get such thrill from the hunt as you, and how I hate to deprive you of it.” 

“Who said anything about letting my catch go to waste?” Thor asked. Tony started to shake. 

Loki’s eyes were locked on his brother. Tony knew he was pissed. His saccharine expression couldn’t hide the tension in his pose and the fire in his eyes. Thor’s grip on Tony tightened. “I’m keeping him.” 

Loki held Thor’s gaze for a moment longer, eerily quiet. And then, as though they hadn’t been talking at all, Loki motioned his horse to turn away. “Very well,” he said, his leg brushing against Tony’s as the horse began to move. “I do hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.” 

Thor laughed. “I can handle a human, brother.” 

Loki whistled to his horse, and at the next moment he was galloping away.

Tony couldn’t help what happened next. Panic tore through him. 

“LOKI!” Tony screamed. His voice rang out across the field where the last few riders were darting past. “LOKI!” A hand slapped over his mouth. Thor’s voice came down harshly beside his ear.

“You would best be silent, mortal.” 

Tony wanted to listen. He could feel the threat in Thor’s words, but it didn’t matter. He was breaking a promise, and he didn’t know if it was Loki’s magic or his body imploding under the pressure, but he could do nothing but scream.

Thor’s horse shot off into the field, jostling Tony in Thor’s lap. His screaming didn’t stop, though it devolved into a horrific, long yell.

Tony lost track of time. He screamed until his throat felt raw. He searched, but Thor was holding them back from the rest of the party, and Loki’s horse was nowhere to be seen. 

Shaking, and cold with sweat, Tony fell silent when his throat gave up, the taste of blood in his mouth. The hunt felt like it lasted forever. Tony was scared of falling from the horse and being trampled beneath its hooves, scared of Thor, scared of the future. 

Tony wasn’t sure if he passed out or fell asleep. He came to on a blanket on the floor. 

Tony sat up. Every muscle was stiff. His back ached. It hurt to swallow. 

Tony reached for his neck, flinching when his hands met cold metal.

What the hell was it with collars and these guys? 

Tony wasn’t sure how he’d missed noticing the connected chain, but he supposed being exhausted and likely in shock was part of it. He turned the chain over in hands. 

It was ornate, designed to be more beautiful than practical. It had a lot of weak points. He could break it if he had the right tool. 

Tony glanced around the massive room. 

It was airy and bright, nothing like Loki’s room had been. There were stained glass windows and white stone walls. It was almost like a cathedral, except for the plants growing from the floor. A small tree was growing several yards away with a hammock hanging from it. Tony’s eyes fell upon a towering, carved wooden door at the end of the room. 

Strange had warned him that it would be impossible to escape the fae realm without magic. Tony frowned. 

He could escape Thor first, and worry about that later. 

Maybe he could get to Loki. 

Loki had been so angry. Maybe, if Tony could reach him, he’d free Tony from Thor. And then the first part of the plan would be done. 

Tony stood, testing the length of the chain. He could make it a couple steps away from the blanket, but no further. Tony’s hip hurt. Everything hurt, he thought, stretching. 

Tony felt under the collar, hoping for a lucky break. He couldn’t reach a finger beneath it.

Tony started to pace. 

The chain rattled against the ground with every step. “Mortal!” Thor bellowed. 

Tony hunched against the wall, heart pounding. Thor emerged from around the corner of the wall Tony was chained to. He walked with heavy steps, soft robes flowing behind him. He was unlike Loki, broad chested and muscular with shining golden hair like a shampoo commercial. He glared at Tony. “I do not recall you being so noisy,” he complained. “Be seated.” 

Tony bit his lip. He was shaken, and he didn’t feel any desire to push Thor’s buttons when he was so woefully outgunned. 

With trembling knees, Tony lowered himself to the thin blanket. He adjusted as his hip hurt, wincing in pain. Thor watched him, making Tony feel every last bit like prey.

“Speak.” 

Tony flinched, surprised at how angry he could feel even when he was so scared. He voice cracked as it rasped out. “Hi.” 

Thor scowled at him. He regarded Tony for a moment more before saying, “Tonight there shall be a festival. You will come as my mortal guest.” 

“And do what?” Tony asked, finding himself slowly emboldened the less hope he had. 

Thor smiled. “Cavort.” He folded his arms over his chest. 

Tony didn’t like the sound of that. “I need water,” he said. “And to use the restroom, and—”

“—You are not the first human I’ve kept,” Thor answered, insulted and derisive. 

Tony looked away. He didn’t know what to do with this guy. Tony didn’t understand him yet. Not really. He licked his chapped lips. 

Maybe he could leverage Loki’s relationship with his brother to buy himself some time. Or maybe it would backfire. 

Thor’s eyes drifted up and down, making a quick assessment. “You need to bathe,” he said, casually unhooking Tony’s chain from the wall. Tony grabbed it. A warning flashed in Thor’s eyes. “You will bathe,” he said, the threat obvious. “The tailor’s finished your clothes.” 

Thor started to walk, deciding the conversation was over, and Tony stumbled to follow. Thor led him to a massive bathtub already filled with steaming water. Trees grew in the stone room, and plants floated on the water. There were three bottles on the side of the tub. Thor pointed to them. “Bathe,” he said, then turned and left. A lock clicked loudly against the door.

Tony took a deep, long breath. He was glad Thor was gone. 

Tony crawled into the tub, moaning as he hit the water. It was heaven on his aching muscles. 

It was also like a massive hug, and Tony was too embarrassed to care at that realization and how much he needed it. 

Tony sat in the tub for as long as he dared, then glanced at the bottles. 

He didn’t want to do what Thor said. But if Thor was going to the same party as everyone else, then Loki would be there, and Loki was his only chance so it’d pay to look good…

As Tony was shampooing his hair, the door clicked. Tony immediately turned towards it, heart tracing, only to see a woman enter. She swiftly set a pile of clothes on a chair without once looking towards Tony, gathered his old clothes, and left before he could say a word. The lock snapped shut.

It was a good while before Tony dragged himself away from the tub. He dried his hair, then finally took a look at the clothes he’d been given.

Tony held the shirt up to the shaft of sunlight filtering in. 

It was entirely transparent. 

The soft fabric was a light golden color, with long sleeves and a cropped waist. Tony looked at the long skirt that accompanied it. The fabric was the same, and under that was another, long identical robe for Tony to put on.

He grit his teeth. At least Loki would like him in these clothes.

Tony was bitter as he put them on. 

Tony took several deep long breaths, then began to pace the room. It wasn’t long before Thor returned. “Come here.” 

Tony didn’t argue with him. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, pretending he didn’t feel Thor grasp the leash. They were silent as Thor lead him through his rooms and out to a hallway. 

Lights floated in the air, despite it being day. Tony moved out of their way. He wasn’t sure if they’d burn him. All sorts of people filtered past, but Tony soon lost interest. His mind raced with ways to escape. 

Thor guided him into a carriage. When the door shut, Thor turned to him. He looked at Tony like he was a very ugly, displeasing puzzle. After a while, Thor turned towards the window. Hooves clopped as the carriage moved. Tony’s lips parted and closed several times, but he didn’t speak. 

They arrived at a large outdoor clearing. Thor lead Tony to a cushion on the ground, chaining him to a hook in the grass before leaving. Tony stared at it. This was reminiscent of when Loki had brought him to these parties, but he’d never chained Tony. His threats had been good enough.

Tony looked out over the crowd that had already gathered. 

He wasn’t even thinking as he searched, hands clenched in his robe, lip between his teeth. The moment Tony saw slick raven black hair and recognition struck, a shout fell from him.

“Loki!” He yelled, several heads turning to face him.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki sauntered out of the crowd, his eyes alight as he stared down at Tony. A razor-sharp smile tilted up his lips, set upon a bemused, unkind face. Loki wore a crown of gilded leaves in his hair, two golden branches tilting upwards like horns from his long black hair. Tony’s pulse slowed as Loki approached, his black robes swaying in his measured gait.

Loki combed his fingers into Tony’s hair, openly grinning as more and more heads turned to watch them. Tony leaned up into his touch without putting a single thought into it.

Tony hunched back down as he caught Thor in the corner of his eye, but Loki’s grip turned tight in his hair. He couldn’t budge. Thor was carrying a large glass of mead, and his face flushed red with annoyance. 

“Thor,” Loki practically crooned, turning towards him with one hand against his mouth conspiratorially while the other stayed fiercely gripping Tony’s hair. “What a stir your mortal’s caused, calling out my name like _that_.” 

Thor glared at him. “Indeed,” he answered, taking a sip of his mead before setting it down on his chair beside Tony.

“If he’s so troublesome—”

“—Indeed I heard him say your name,” Thor spoke over him. There was a roar of whispering around them. Tony was too nervous to make out the words, though he was sure he could’ve quite easily. “Without your respectful title, as a mortal should. I shall have to punish him.” 

The glee skirting around Loki’s expression fell. His lips pulled into a tight line. 

Reluctantly, he let go of Tony’s hair and took a step back. 

“I didn’t know—” Tony began, only to feel his throat close up. His eyes darted to Thor, but Thor had no idea. He realized with a start that Loki had silenced him. Loki’s gaze was not on him, though. 

It was set with determination on Thor. 

Thor smiled at Loki. “I think I know the most fitting punishment,” he said, and Tony’s mind flooded with the sensation of Loki’s hand striking his bare ass as the crowd watched. If Thor was going to do that, maybe he meant to make Loki envious? “Perhaps I should offer him for the main course? I know how much you enjoy human.” 

Tony’s heart began to race. He held his breath and looked to Loki with panicked eyes.

Despite having not seen Loki in five years, Tony found that he still knew how to read a few of his tells. Loki was furious, but weary too. His lips twitched in a smile as he tilted his head. “I do,” Loki said with relish. “And it is wonderfully generous of you to offer, but who would I be if I robbed you of enjoying your catch?” 

If Tony hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought Loki was genuinely wounded at the thought. 

“Let me help you,” Loki offered. “How convenient is it, is it not? That you have the same human that I toyed with not too long ago? Surely it is less troublesome for me to bring him to heel with my experience?” 

“Is my suggestion not pleasing to you?” Thor asked. 

Slowly, with something that looked effortless but Tony was certain was very practiced, Loki gave Thor a curt bow. “Whatever you deem best, brother. He is your catch, after all.” Thor’s jaw tightened. “I merely meant to offer you my aid out of brotherly love.” 

Thor drew in a deep, long breath. He glanced at Tony. “Your counteroffer is most generous,” he answered Loki. “I would be a poor brother if I did not pay it some heed. Instead then, I yield to your experience and ask that you punish him in my place.” 

There was a glint of triumph in Thor’s eyes, but bafflingly, so was there in Loki’s. 

Loki folded his hands behind his back. “Very well then,” he said. “Until he can learn to speak to his betters, I will keep his voice.” Loki took a step forward. Loki’s hand landed across Tony’s cheek faster than he could think, and before he even had a moment to process it, Loki’s hand was at his collar, tugging him up as Loki bent down and laved his tongue against Tony’s cheekbone.

With a start, Tony realized Loki was kissing away tears from the pain he hadn’t yet processed. Loki’s lips pressed against the corner of his other eye, and for a moment, Tony felt a bright, burning warmth sweep through him. 

He slumped back down when Loki let go. 

Loki brushed a delicate hand against his mouth. “I so do enjoy the taste of his tears,” Loki declared. 

Tony blinked. 

Could that be what this was all about?

Loki had just wanted to _taste his tears_? Again? 

He had enjoyed it so much last time.

Loki turned back to Thor with an indulgent smile. “Will you join me and feast together this evening, brother?” 

“Gladly!” Thor exclaimed, suddenly jovial. Loki smirked and sauntered back into a crowd that parted easily for him, many of them looking away now that the show was over.

Tony dared a glance back up towards Thor. 

Thor seemed happier, relieved even, maybe. But the moment he noticed Tony’s eyes on him, all warmth was gone. “You would do well to know your place,” Thor warned him. He picked up his mead and threw himself back down into the chair, drinking only for a moment before people flocked around him. 

The people that spoke to Thor ignored Tony, and Tony ignored them. Instead he found his gaze following the crowd, stuck on Loki whenever he was close enough to witness. 

Loki never once looked back at him.

That evening felt as though it was a day or two later. Tony was lead to a tent. It was made of a glossy purple fabric, stakes holding it up. Inside, lights floated above them. Tony’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the table.

Loki was sitting in a dining chair that looked every bit like a throne, but that wasn’t what had caught Tony’s attention. It was the young man in Loki’s lap.

The man shot Tony a cocky grin, as if to gloat. He was slender and long, with distinct blue lines of makeup around his eyes. Tony bit his lip as he stared at the man’s broad, bare chest, at the jewelry that hung there. Someone had obviously spent time dressing him to impress in this world. Had it been Loki? Tony reached for the line of gray in his hair as Thor gestured for him to sit on a floor cushion, latching Tony’s leash to a loop in the ground.

The floor was a bed of verdant leaves with lengths of ribbon lazily winding along them. A firefly drifted up from the leaf it had been hiding under beside Tony’s leash. 

Tony hated himself for it, but he looked under the table towards Loki. 

The man in his lap was entirely nude. 

His cock was hard and weeping, Loki’s hand casually stroking along it. Tony’s face flushed dark red.

He turned away, the chain snapping against his neck. He’d moved as far back as he could on the cushion. 

A servant stepped forward, though Tony hadn’t seen them in the tent before. “The first courses, your royal highnesses.” 

Dozens of dishes were set out across the table. Some were fruits and flowers that Tony had never seen before. Others were delicately prepared meats and cheeses and breads. It was only four of them in the tent, but it was enough food to feed twenty. The servant left as quickly as they’d appeared. 

Thor took a drink, then plopped a fruit in his mouth. He’d been in a wonderful mood. 

Tony’s stomach growled loud enough for the entire tent to hear.

Loki burst into laughter. “Oh, Thor,” he gasped. “Have you forgotten to feed the mortal?” 

Tony thought Thor would be offended, but he laughed like Loki had said something incredibly funny. “I do forget how weak and needy they are,” he agreed, reaching forward. He grabbed an entire loaf of bread and dropped it in Tony’s lap.

“Do remember to give him something to drink,” Loki said. “And not wine. You know how wicked that is for them.” 

As though summoned, the servant reappeared. Their iridescent wings hummed as they poured a pitcher of water in a glass and set it down beside Tony. He tried to catch their eye, but they acted like he was an annoyance. 

Thor dropped a fruit down for Tony, smiling at Loki as he did. Tony was starving. He was too hungry to be insulted. 

Red juice dripped down his fingers as he bit into the tangy, pear shaped fruit.

“It has been too long since we have eaten together,” Thor said, reaching for more fruit.

“Indeed,” Loki agreed, sipping his own wine. “I have missed your company.” 

“The last time you said that, you sabotaged my crown ceremony.” Thor spoke with humor, but the criticism underneath was obvious. 

“It was merely a prank,” Loki soothed him. “You know my nature.” 

“I do,” Thor warmly agreed. “You may forgive me my suspicions?”

“Of course,” Loki answered, plucking a sliced apple from the table and slipping it between his human catch’s lips. 

He chewed eagerly, his eyes set on Loki. The bread crumpled beneath Tony’s clenched hand.

Loki grabbed the man’s chin and turned it so that he was forced to face Thor. “He is lovely, is he not? I found him quivering beneath a mound of leaves. Can you believe it?” 

“He is easy on the eye,” Thor agreed, the heaviness in his voice betraying a lust that shocked Tony. He wouldn’t have pegged the man as Thor’s type. Not that he knew what Thor’s type was, but he was fairly certain it wasn’t himself.

The man moaned as Loki fed him another apple. Tony glared at them. Even though Loki’s hand had vanished from the man’s lap, it didn’t make Tony any happier. The man’s arms were bound behind his back, and yet it didn’t seem like he could be any more content. “He must have been so frightened,” Loki commiserated, brushing a finger across the man’s nose. “Weren’t you?” 

The man nodded, shifting restlessly in Loki’s lap. Loki laughed, then fed him another apple slice. 

The same hand vanished beneath the table, and this time Tony didn’t care that he stared as Loki’s hand curled around the man’s cock. Loki’s long, pale fingers showed zero hesitation as they stroked. Little sparks of fury bubbled up inside of Tony.

Loki had never touched him like that. 

If Loki was infatuated with the man and didn’t care about Tony anymore, then this man was jeopardizing his chance home. 

Thor dropped another piece of fruit beside Tony. He realized he’d been glowering at the man and Thor had seen. Had he…pitied Tony? 

Loki brushed the man’s hair with his fingers. Thor spoke. “You seem quite satisfied with your catch, brother. It pleases me to see you partake so eagerly in our traditions.” 

Loki nodded, smiling at his brother. He held his gaze for a moment before looking away. 

“May I confess something to you, Thor?” 

Thor nodded. 

Loki looked a bit unhappy for a moment as he stared down at his glass, but beneath the table, he stroked the man with a tighter, faster grip. The man twisted in his lap, huffing out a pained, needy whimper.

Tony’s own traitorous cock gave an interested twitch. 

“You know my attendance at the hunts has been…less than perfect,” Loki said. The man whimpered. “I must admit it has given me far greater pleasure to be given a catch than to undertake the task myself.” Loki dared a glance in Thor’s direction. “You are much more adept at hunting than I.” 

“You have your ways, Loki. You are not without ability.” 

“This is true,” Loki agreed. “However, I—doubted my skill on such hunts as the one for this festival, and yet at the same time, I have feared that I slight my adoptive kin by making myself so scarce.” 

Tony wasn’t paying attention to Loki’s words, or Thor’s reaction, but to Loki’s hand beneath the table. He wanted to knock the man out of Loki’s lap. He wanted to scream at Loki for bringing him back.

“You know how I love my tricks, Thor.”

The man’s mouth feel open with a whine. 

Contritely, Loki brushed a finger over the man’s brow, unhappy. “Now for my confession,” he uttered, pressing the same finger to the man’s lips as they fell shut. 

“The human beside your feet was brought into the forest by my own trickery. I knew he would be an easy catch, and I—I thought how entertaining it may be to retrieve him for this festival, but also that he would be easy, Thor.” A hint of tired, lecturing tone slipped in. “True, he was ill-mannered before, but you see how he’s aged.” The words were like an arrow through the heart. 

Loki didn’t want him anymore. Tony needed a back up, a plan B, but Loki had always been the plan. Panic zipped through Tony. 

“I find I must thank you for taking him. I caught this lovely human of my own accord, and it reminded me that I am not perhaps so different, brother.” He smiled, moved by his own story. “I do not have to rely on tricks in this.” 

Thor smiled. “It pleases me to hear that.” He leaned back into his chair, holding his mead glass. “Am I to take it then that you have little interest in this human beside me?” 

“Surely you have noticed my curiosity,” Loki said softly, like he was embarrassed. “You know how I love to toy with things, and he is no exception.” 

Tony bit his cheek, staring angrily at the man in Loki’s lap. 

“Then perhaps I will keep him a while longer,” Thor said, as though granting Loki a favor. 

Loki didn’t react, as though either way didn’t matter. He took up one of the man’s necklaces and let it fall against his chest. 

It was Thor’s turn to speak in a hushed, confessional tone. “It pains me to see you so distant in recent years. You know it was not so long ago that you and I played your tricks together.” 

Loki seemed surprised. He smiled back, and it may have been the first true one of the night. “I have missed the revelry you create,” Thor said. 

Loki’s hand stilled. The man was faintly panting, and he wriggled in Loki’s lap. “Truly?” 

“Of course, brother. You know I care not to lie.” 

“I wish to give you a gift,” Loki said, a slight frenzy in it. “I would like to present you with my catch, Thor. It is the best I have caught to date, and I wish to present you with one as you have so often presented to me, brother.” 

Thor laughed, the sound warm and bright. Tony’s head spun with it. He felt lighter, happier, too, as if Thor’s emotion was his own. 

“I will gladly accept, Loki.” 

Loki smiled back, just as warm and bright. 

Tony found his heart began to race, his eyes trained on Loki. He wanted to see the man’s face as he was given to Thor.

But Loki’s hand just resumed stroking him. Thor began to talk about a group of people that Tony didn’t know or care about. The man in his lap whimpered and moaned, but Loki and Thor both acted as though they couldn’t see or hear him. 

Tony picked at what little fruit he hadn’t eaten. Hours began to pass, Thor and Loki talking like old friends. Tony felt smug when he realized that the man in Loki’s lap was still hard. He didn’t seem to be able to come. A couple of hours in, silent tears had begun to fall down his cheeks. His eyes were distant and lustful, and even though his expression was blissful, Tony felt spitefully happy. The bastard had to be in pain.

And Loki hadn’t eaten a single of his tears. Maybe that meant something? 

Or was he just clinging onto hope? 

Eventually, Tony laid down on the floor. He closed his eyes, and when he woke up again, he couldn’t tell how much time had passed. 

Loki held the rim of a wine glass to the man’s lips. He drank it sweetly, staring at Loki with doe eyes. His cock wept precome, but Tony didn’t think he’d come. Tony stared at the glass, thinking. 

Thor must have caught him staring again because he set a dessert on the floor beside Tony. It was a beautifully decorated miniature cake. Tiny blue buttercream roses formed a neat pattern across the top. If Tony could’ve made a sound, he would’ve exclaimed in pure joy at the taste. 

He was licking his lips when the servant from before appeared. Loki looked to Thor with an unspoken question. “We have five more days to feast,” Thor thought aloud. “And I find I am not quite hungry. How about you, brother?” 

Loki glanced down at the man in his lap, and Tony went still. 

Suddenly the threat Loki always made didn’t seem so distant.

A small smile crossed Loki’s lips. “Perhaps we ought to enjoy this longer then, brother? I’m afraid my bloodlust made me impatient,” he said with a note of embarrassment. 

Loki gestured towards the servant. “Place him in Thor’s quarters, if you would.” The servant lifted him up as though he weighed nothing and disappeared.

Loki turned his attention to Tony.

Tony couldn’t make out everything he saw in those green eyes. He shivered. “Shall we go out into the gardens?” Loki asked. “I find I miss the crowd.” 

“A wonderful suggestion,” Thor agreed, standing up. The servant returned, taking a step towards Tony. Thor held up his hand.

“There is no need to bring him back,” Thor said. “He shall come with us.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tony walked several feet behind Thor and Loki, casting sullen, wary looks at the rosy hedges on either side of them when he wasn’t studying the two men in front of him. 

Bafflingly, Thor and Loki walked with their elbows linked together, a casualness to it that didn’t quite cast the shade of intimate familiarity it was going for. Loki’s hand waved about as he spoke, and the sharp staccato to it betrayed the genial gait he was aiming for. Loki adjusted to Thor’s steps like water, yet Tony had the sense that Loki would just as easily stab Thor for a misstep. Tony wasn’t sure if Loki was trying to convince Thor or himself that they were indeed good brothers.

Thor was a slightly easier read for Tony. He didn’t lean into Loki, but walked assuredly forward, taking Loki’s accommodating gait for granted. He spoke boisterously and laughed loudly. It appeared forced to Tony, as though Thor was trying to convince Loki that their conversation was more engaging than it really was. Tony tugged at the shimmery fabric on his skin. 

He was starting to think that Thor really wanted his brother’s affection, but on his own terms. Either way, Tony didn’t think he understood their dynamic. But he filed it away, turning it over. 

He still thought Loki was his best shot out of here. At least, better than Thor. And at least until he met other people.

Tony’s heart ached for a moment as he remembered the man that had been in Loki’s lap.

He hadn’t expected it to sting. Tony didn’t realize he’d felt special to have Loki chasing after him until Loki wasn’t. 

They rounded another one of the rosy hedges, to a small courtyard in the maze. There was a bubbling fountain with several stone benches around it. A couple was making out on one of them, flowers in their hair and petals scattered all across the ground. Loki started to walk past them when Thor went still. Loki gracefully let go of Thor’s arm, hiding that the lost momentum would’ve made him stumble. 

“This seems a fine place to stop,” Thor announced, and the couple startled. Loki gave them a pitying look.

One of the women’s heads shot up, her all red eyes widening. With a wet smack the other women looked their way, dazed.

Tony froze as he realized that she was human. Her cheeks were flushed red, her lipstick smudged below bright, happy eyes. 

“I apologize,” the other woman said, sliding the human from her lap and standing up to take a deep bow. She grasped the human woman’s hair and tugged her head forward in a clueless bow too. “I did not hear your approach, your royal highnesses. Let us make our departure so that you may enjoy your evening.” 

She grabbed the woman’s hand and tugged her away from the bench. The woman stumbled, hurrying after her winged companion. A moment later, Tony heard her giggling.

He hadn’t even said anything to them and he felt like he was chaperoning at a pre-teen school dance. 

There was a burst of laughter from behind the hedge. Tony’s heart sank a little lower. Was he the only human not having a good time here? 

Thor sat down on one of the benches by the fountain. Tony stood awkwardly behind him, as far as the chain would allow. Loki took his seat on a separate bench. “We needn’t have ruined their fun,” Loki said, setting one ankle on his knee. “I thought we meant to see the crowd.” 

“The human needs to rest,” Thor said. 

Loki’s lips quirked up with amusement. “This concern, after you forgot to feed him?” Thor shot him a displeased look that then turned slow and thoughtful, calculating. 

With a hint of triumph Thor said, “Then perhaps you can tell me of how you cared for him before?” 

Loki gave his nails a derisive sneer, the light catching on their glossy black sheen. “There is nothing special to caring for them Thor, you simply are neglectful of it. Assign the task to one of your servants and be done with it.” 

“But I wish to hear of your time with him, brother. What made him worth catching twice?” 

“He was an _easy_ catch, as I’ve told you,” Loki said, bored. “There was nothing special about him.” 

“Then tell me of how you cared for him. Where did he sleep?” Tony caught what Thor was getting at, then realized Loki already knew what Thor was after. Loki glanced at his nails again before setting his gaze on Thor. 

“On a bed,” Loki said. “A _human_ one, Thor. You can see by his age that he requires a more delicate hand than the catches you favor, yes? I used my magic to create an adjoining room for him, but perhaps you can have your servants fetch you what you’d need? I gave him a bed, an adjoining room with a bath and a toilet, I set out meals for him every three human hours and water all day, and I found that providing him books in his own language kept his mind calm and behavior docile.” 

Loki’s clinical list sounded like a lecture. He didn’t stop. “He was trying in that he struggled to follow the rules I set. You remember when I reprimanded him before the court?” 

Thor’s laugh interrupted Loki’s next sentence. “We all remember.” 

A hint of satisfaction showed on Loki’s face before he tucked it away. “I had no need to keep him on a chain, though. Surely you do not feel threatened by him?” 

Thor shrugged. “I see no harm in him having one.” Loki frowned but didn’t comment.

His gaze flickered directly to Tony. “He likes to keep his own company.” Tony was filled with the oddest mix of feeling both invisible and entirely scrutinized at once. He couldn’t look away, and wasn’t sure if it was because of him or Loki. “He loathes strawberries.” 

Loki smiled then, as if that was deeply amusing. “I do believe that was the only time he disliked the food he was given.” Loki set his arms behind him on the bench, leaning back. “There. I do believe that is everything I know of him.” He gave his brother a sweet, adoring look. “Does that satisfy your curiosity?” 

Tony bit his lip. Loki had just lied straight through his teeth, and Tony was entirely sure that one, Loki was covering Tony’s ass and two, the strawberries thing was a warning. Tony didn’t understand why. 

But if Loki was saying all of that, maybe he did care. 

Tony couldn’t tell if Thor knew Loki was lying. Maybe he did, because he pushed harder. “You did dote on him, did you—”

“—Don’t we all?” Loki gave Thor a deeply amused smile that was sharp around the edges. “You remember the human you brought me after him? I don’t believe I’ve enjoyed one so much as that.” 

Thor leaned forward, setting an elbow on his knee and his head in his hand. It made him appear less threatening, bored even. Loki, however, only seemed set on edge by the gesture. “Do you think your human will be as smitten by you now?” 

“He’s not _my_ human, Thor.” 

“Perhaps,” Thor said. “But perhaps now he’ll not be so inclined to call out your name before everyone?” Tony could tell he was needling. Loki and Thor’s exchanges were starting to remind him of a ruthless, more dangerous version of the Maximov twin’s bickering. 

Loki rose from the bench. “I must say Thor, I am rather under the impression that we stopped here to chat about that human, and I would much rather be back in the heart of it all with a drink in my hand.” 

Thor looked back at Tony. Tony went still like a deer. Thor turned back to his brother, but didn’t stand. “Return his voice. I cannot properly care for him if he is incapable of communicating, and I do not think he will cry out after you now.” 

Anger flashed in Loki’s eyes. He was obviously at war with himself before he answered crisply, “If he insults me again, I will not be so kind with my punishment.” 

“I am sure,” Thor answered. 

Loki stalked towards Tony, grasping the chain as he tilted Tony’s head towards him with his other hand. His thumb brushed over Tony’s cheek. Warmth flared through Tony, making his head spin. Loki sighed. He set his hand over Tony’s throat for a moment. Then he released Tony, walking away and brushing his hands together as though they were dirty.

Tony’s throat felt heavy. He took a deep breath, but he didn’t dare to try his voice.

Loki started walking away from the courtyard and Thor rose, giving Tony an assessing look before following. They continued to wind through the path, Loki several steps ahead. 

Then, right before the path ended, Loki paused. His shoulders slumped. “I apologize,” he said, extending out his arm. “I do not mean to act so slighted, but you know how easily offended I am.” 

It was a blatant lie, but Thor didn’t seem to care. “If he acts out, I will allow you to choose his punishment instead of me. Would that please you?” He asked, elbow linking around Loki’s. 

“I suppose,” Loki answered, conflicted.

They walked forward, into a throng of people that parted for them. It was sensory overload. There were streamers and ribbons flying, music, floating lights and odd, sweet smells in the air. Everyone was dressed in fantastic costumes, but some of the humans stood out. Tony just tried to avoid them as he was guided forward. 

When they were in sight of a golden throne, Loki slipped out of Thor’s arm. “I will see you shortly?” 

“Of course,” Thor answered. 

Tony’s heart began to ache as Loki turned to leave. “Prince—” Tony breathed out without thinking. “Prince Loki—” A sharp yank brought Tony’s attention. 

Loki didn’t react, and Thor started walking so that Tony had no choice but to follow. 

In a way that was becoming routine, Tony sat down on a pillow beside the throne, his chain clasped onto a loop beside it. 

Thor didn’t stay. He returned to the crowd, and Tony had nothing to do but watch it. 

He didn’t call out for Loki. He didn’t want to lose his voice again, and he found himself wondering if Thor wanted him to call out. 

Slowly, he started to get better and better at picking out the other humans. Their steps were tired, uncoordinated. They seemed exhausted by the affair, but none of them looked unhappy. Tony spotted the couple from before and found himself increasingly jealous. 

It didn’t help when Tony finally spotted Loki again, off in the distance. He was holding a drink, but he was also surrounded by dozens of people. He was telling some sort of story. They all seemed enraptured, and Loki’s smile was sincere. Beautiful. The way his eyes lit up as he spoke stirred an uncomfortable longing in Tony. 

He dragged his hands through his hair. He didn’t want to look away, but something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. 

Thor’s blond hair had grabbed at his thoughts, warning him. He’d returned, but so had the human Loki had given him. They were dancing together, the man laughing as he threw himself into Thor’s arms. 

Tony glowered. He was definitely the only human here not having a good time. 

He slid his hand behind him, searching for the loop where the chain was set. It wasn’t that Tony thought he had the tools to break it, but he needed something to try. He couldn’t just sit here and watch everyone have a good time. 

The event was a good distraction. No one’s attention was set on him. Tony reached for the clasp. His finger tips brushed over the cold metal as he pretended to stare absently at the crowd. There was a distinct clinking sound. Tony stilled in shock.

The clasp had come open on its own. He could run.

His heart began to pound.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony took a deep, trembling breath. It felt too good to be true. 

Loki had touched the chain, hadn’t he? 

Maybe it was a spell then, to make the chain loose so that he could run. Tony’s heart pounded in his ears. He tried to soothe his mind, to put the thoughts in order before he made a decision, as his position directing Shield, and even being in the Avengers had always emphasized.

If it was Loki’s magic, then that meant that Loki wanted Tony to escape. But how did that benefit him? Did that mean that Tony was his to capture then? 

Or did he want an excuse to punish Tony? 

Tony licked his dry lips. Loki had made his suit look like a joke. If Tony went up against that—he wouldn’t win. He couldn’t win.

It could also be Thor’s handiwork—maybe he wanted Tony to run for the same reason. Tony felt less inclined to think that it was him, though. This seemed to be more in Loki’s style. 

Tony’s hand trembled against the metal. This probably was a trick—but trick or not, it was a chance to escape. 

And Tony knew his odds were slim, but something was better than nothing. 

His gaze drifted back over the crowd, seeing again. Thor was speaking to the four friends Tony recognized from his last time here, spinning the human around to show him off. All of his friends had human companions as well, who watched with amusement. 

Tony found Loki without really trying. He was still regaling the crowd with some story, the lights gleaming off his golden antler-like horns. Quietly, Tony wished he was having the same fun with Loki that everyone else seemed to be having. 

Loki gestured with his hands about something, his gaze sliding away from the crowd. The moment his eye met Tony’s, just for a heartbeat, he winked. 

Tony’s legs sank like lead.

He knew beyond a doubt that this was Loki’s handiwork. 

And with a stubborn flare, Tony decided that he wouldn’t be playing into Loki’s hand. Tony let out a huff. He released the clasp. 

He stared down at the embroidered cushion he sat on. Tony began picking at the thread that designed delicate little leaves and flowers across the fabric. He wedged his nail beneath it, working the loops of thread free. Each pop they gave as they broke satisfied him. 

He tore apart the design until half of the curled leaf was gone, along with a flower. 

“Oh, they will _not_ like that.” 

Tony glanced up, alarmed, until he saw who it was. “What do you care?” 

The man from before smirked, gracefully lowering himself onto a cushion beside Tony. He held out his hand. “I’m James.” 

“Tony.” He begrudgingly took the handshake, more out of years of conditioning than any true interest. 

James grinned, sitting cross legged and clasping his ankles. He shrugged his shoulders. “You should cheer up.” The necklaces on his bare chest jingled as he leaned towards Tony. “We’ve hit the jackpot.” 

Tony let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah?” Thor and Loki were talking in the middle of the crowd. He absently wondered if they’d put James up to this. “How so?” 

“Hmm. Let’s see. We’ve literally been transported to a realm where all of our needs are met, where there’s no mortgage, no bills, not to mention no pollution of practically everything—”

“—Okay,” Tony said, holding up his hand. “I get that you’re having a wonderful day off, Ferris Bueller, but what about a week from now? A year? Don’t you have anyone waiting for you back home?” 

James shrugged. “I do,” he said slowly. “But—I’ve had more fun here than I’ve had in a very, very long time.” He tugged on one of the necklaces, then smiled at Tony. “Besides, I’m sure we’ll be sent home when they get bored of us. I’d rather enjoy myself. You should try it, instead of sitting here like a buzzkill.” 

“I’m not a buzzkill,” Tony said, feeling fucking old just saying it. “They’re going to kill us and eat us at the end of this, James,” he said, more bite in his voice than he meant to have. 

James raised his eyebrows, giving Tony a look that was a cross between pity and alarm. “Is that what you think?” 

“What did you think Prince Loki meant by bloodlust? Or were you too fucked out to remember?” 

James laughed, then waived his hand. “I remember,” he said, the contentment in his voice setting Tony on edge. “And you’re wrong. We’ll drink and fuck and eat and have a kick ass time, and then we’ll go home. Whoever told you they'd kill you and eat you was just trying to scare you, and it worked. You're missing out. This is the winning hand, baby.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Being some guy’s play thing is not the winning hand.” 

“Isn’t it, though?” James challenged him, cocking his head towards Tony. “Do you think I didn’t see the way you looked at Prince Loki?” James smirked, overly pleased with himself. “Do you know what they’re all saying about you?” 

Tony’ cheeks burned, even as he scowled at James. 

James’s eyes narrowed. His eyes sparked with joy. “They’re all saying how you’re _obsessed_ with Prince Loki.” 

Tony scoffed. “I’m not obsessed with the guy. He’s an asshole, alright, and we have a history—” Tony looked away. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.” 

James laughed. “It’s perfectly ok that you have the hots for him, alright? Seriously. Relax.” 

Tony folded his arms over his chest. “Why’d you come over here?” 

“I was sent,” James said. “Apparently Thor wanted me to take a break and rest, but I think he just wanted to talk to Loki alone.” James grinned. “Speaking of, isn’t this great? Loki’s hot, you obviously know that,” James said, laughing at Tony’s expense. “And Thor—yes, please.” 

Tony looked away, disgusted. 

It was obvious James enjoyed teasing him too much. Tony’s patience was thinning. “Do you see this, James?” He asked, holding up the chain. “Why do you think this is on me?” 

“Because you’re a grumpy spoil sport that’s already caused a scene?” 

“Because I know too much!” 

“Uh huh.” 

“If nothing else, this should make it very obvious that I am trapped against my will.” 

“You know,” James said with the derisive tone of an older sibling speaking, “they’d take it off of you if you stopped looking at the whole place like it pissed in your cheerios.” 

“No, they wouldn’t.” 

“Uhh, Loki very blatantly hinted at Thor that it made him look weak to have it on you like you were out of control, and you know what Thor’s response was? To say you were _troublesome_.” 

James stretched, lacing his hands out in front of himself and cracking his knuckles. “Now. You want to know the real reason I came over here, besides the fact that Thor told me to rest for a moment?” He asked, air quoting Thor.

He set his hand on Tony’s knee and smiled. “You see, I want more of Thor’s attention, and we all know you want Loki’s, so what would you say to getting it by making them jealous?” 

Tony’s mouth fell open. 

James squeezed Tony’s knee with a charming smile. “Just a little making out. How’s that?” 

Tony blinked. He couldn’t believe he was considering it. He was fucking considering it, like he was in his twenties again without a care in the world. 

If he was being honest, making out to get someone else’s attention could’ve come out of his playbook when he was much, much younger.

James brushed his thumb over Tony’s knee. “Do you think we could get them into a foursome?” 

Tony batted James’s hand away. “You’re playing with fire.” 

“I doubt that,” James said confidently, his eyes back out on the crowd. Tony turned just in time to see Loki and Thor both staring at them, a faint scowl on Loki’s face. Loki hid it a moment later, his hand on Thor’s shoulder.

Tony glanced back at James.

James grinned. “Relax and have a little fun, Tony. This is just one big party.” 

“I tend to make bad decisions at those,” Tony muttered.

“Then you know exactly what to do!” James set his hand back on Tony’s knee. “Just kiss me.” James squeezed his knee again. “I mean, if we’re just going to be killed and eaten, might as well have a little fun first, right?” 

“That’s not funny,” Tony hissed. “I’m serious about it.”

“And I’m serious about having some fun,” James answered. “I’m not kidding when I say that I’m having the time of my life here, and I don’t plan on stopping. So. Are you going to give this a shot with me or not?” 

Tony stared at the ratty embroidery he’d torn loose. If he made Loki jealous, would it play in his favor? Tony wished that he knew what Loki was thinking. He glanced over at James. 

Tony’s gut sank. “I—no.” He scratched at his hair. The idea was fun. Tony couldn’t deny that. “I just—”

“—You’re not going to get Loki’s attention just sitting here,” James said. 

He got up, brushing himself off. “Let me know when you change your mind,” he said, walking into the crowd without looking back.

Tony glanced down at the clasp in the chain. 

“I already have it,” Tony decided, looking out into the crowd for Loki again.


	6. Chapter 6

Hours seemed to drag by, and yet it still only felt like minutes before James was back, dropping down onto the pillow beside Tony with a wine glass in his hand. 

Tony set his jaw, looking pointedly forwards. 

“So,” James said brightly, sloshing the wine around in a circle. “What do you do back home?” 

Something smartassed was on the tip of Tony’s tongue before his brows pinched together. “Do you—not recognize me?” 

“Should I?” James asked with distaste, turning up his glass and taking a sip.

“No,” Tony decided. “Not at all.” 

The last thing he needed was for James to relay to Loki and Thor that they’d caught an extra valuable human. 

“What do you do back home?” Tony asked instead.

“Deflection!” James laughed, then smirked in a way that reminded Tony of Loki. “Well, let’s see. I work at a bank, generally screwing people over on loans they can’t _actually_ afford, but they’re dumb enough to seek them out for stupid shit they don’t need so that’s not my problem,” James said.

As much as he tried to make it sound heartless, it was obvious he wasn’t managing it. “Now what do you do? I’m assuming from your whole assuming I know you thing that your mugshot’s been on the news.” 

Tony breathed out a soft laugh. He hadn’t expected for James to make him laugh. “Yeah,” Tony agreed. “That’s actually—I was on the news for public intoxication.” 

It was, unfortunately, the first excuse that popped into his head and right out his mouth.

“Oh!” James said, eyes lighting up. “What happened?” 

“I mean, it was a while back,” Tony shrugged. He didn’t have to say it was twenty years ago during his early Iron Man days.

“Must’ve been good to get on the news,” James prompted, turning towards Tony instead of towards the crowd. “People are publicly intoxicated all the time.” 

“I announced that I pissed myself in front of a huge party with a lot of cameras,” Tony said, cringing at himself. It’d been easier to stomach when he’d been reckless and literally dying.

“Some corporate thing?” James asked. 

“Yeah,” Tony said. “I made a drunk speech, the thing went viral, nobody’s let me forget it.” 

James sighed. “Man. I really wish I had my phone.” 

“Thanks.” 

James patted his back. “Hey! You’re suddenly way more interesting. And you didn’t answer what you do, sooo what are you? A lawyer?” 

“Mechanic,” Tony answered reflexively. “And I, uh—” It felt good to talk about something else. To not be entirely wrapped up inside of what was happening. “—I’m part of this big brother kind of thing, where I mentor gifted teens in a program.” 

Peter’s face drifted through his mind. Peter had graduated university now. He worked for Pep’s company, and Tony only really heard from him every once in a while. Peter was young. It was a good thing that he wasn’t hitting Tony up all the time because it meant he was out doing things and happy. And Tony had other young Avengers he was mentoring now, when he wasn’t directing Shield. 

“Yeesh,” James said, taking a swig of wine and then burping. Tony sneered. “Oh come on,” James chided him. “First you tell a story like maybe you do let loose every once in a while and enjoy the party, and now you’re getting all misty-eyed over some big fish little fish after school thing.” 

“I have people that need me,” Tony said, immediately defensive. “And what I told you is way more than loosening up for a party. It was a problem—” 

“—Ugh,” James said. “You know, those teens will be just fine without you. They will! You don’t have to save the world, you know.” James looked like he wanted to leave, but he stared down into his glass instead. “They’re probably just coming to the program because they have to.” 

Anger flared through Tony. “Why’d you come over here? To give me a lecture?” 

“No, I came over here to figure out what stick you had up your butt. Found it,” James said triumphantly, holding his glass up as if to cheers. 

Tony was struck by the impulse to knock the glass out of James’s hand. He sucked in a breath. “This isn’t some game,” Tony started. “What do you think you’re playing with, huh? Did you think you just—”

“—You are SUCH a buzzkill,” James interrupted. “I’m not interested in your lecture.” 

“You’re just a kid,” Tony said. “You don’t know—”

“—Buzzkill,” James answered, turning so that his back was facing Tony. “I’m sorry I said anything to you, old man.” He shifted uncomfortably. 

“You can’t leave that pillow, can you?” Tony challenged him. James didn’t answer. “Is this your idea of a good time? Sitting on a pillow like some dumb pet—”

“—Oh my,” a voice announced. “Are Thor’s little darlings fighting?” Tony spun around. The guy he’d dubbed Lucius was standing behind them.

James shot him a triumphant look. “No, that’s my idea of a good time,” he whispered at Tony. Instantly, Tony felt played. 

James rose up, pressing a hand against his cheek. “We are!” He exclaimed. He pointed down at Tony. “He says the most awful things, all because he’s jealous of me,” James said. He took several steps until he was standing inches from Lucius, a simpering look on his face. “I can’t find Thor, and he’s my only company aside from him.” 

Lucius seemed like he knew James was lying, but it was also obvious he didn’t care. “It would be careless of me to allow this squabbling to continue,” Lucius said, wrapping an arm around James’s shoulder. “Let’s look for Thor together, yes?” 

“Yes, _please_,” James answered, boldly wrapping his arm around Lucius’s waist. Lucius began to fuss over what a poor, mistreated thing he was as they began walking away. 

Tony rolled his eyes, turning back around. He went back to picking at the embroidery. 

“Does that amuse you?” Tony went still at Thor’s voice. He’d picked through three more flowers since James had left. 

Slowly, Tony managed to look up. 

He was shocked not to find anger, but tiredness in Thor’s expression. “I suppose you will need books,” Thor said, as if that decided it. He sighed as he sat down on his throne. “Books that my brother has, I am sure.” 

Tony swallowed. His heart was pounding, but James wasn’t here and this was a chance to talk to Thor without James or Loki. “Prince Thor.” 

Thor inclined his head slightly to show he was listening, even as he rifled through a bowl of fruit. 

“When may I go home?” 

Thor’s expression soured. 

“I’ll make a deal with you,” Tony offered. “I’m sure we can find something—”

“—You are far too valuable to make a deal with.” Thor’s hand had paused in the bowl of fruit. He did not look Tony’s way. 

“Ok, but going home—”

Thor set the bowl of fruit down without taking anything. “We both know you are not going home.” 

Everything around Tony became muffled as the world started to spin. Thor’s voice was like a foghorn in the middle of it. “Until my brother’s interest in you truly wanes, I have no desire to release you.” 

Tony choked, clutching his chest. His breathing came in short bursts. 

Tony pulled his knees up against his chest, gasping. 

“What did you do?” 

“Nothing. He is merely throwing a tantrum because I told him that he was not going home.” 

“Brother, if this is your idea of a tantrum, I’m sorely concerned for your judgment.” 

Tony felt delicate hands slide beneath his shoulders and a wash of relief following, his heavy limbs being pulled up effortlessly. “I shall bring him back to your tent to recover.” Tony gasped. His chest felt like it would burst. “Where is the other one?” 

“I—had thought him to be getting another drink or relieving himself.” 

“Had thought?” 

“He—has been gone a while.” 

“Then go fetch him.” 

There was a pause between them, and Tony heard nothing but his heart pounding in his ears. “What?” Loki challenged Thor.

“He is my catch.” 

“Yes, and he is unwell while your other catch runs amuck. It wounds me that you cast suspicion upon my aid.” Loki pulled Tony tighter to his chest, setting off another flurry of short huffs from Tony. 

Thor grumbled something that Tony missed, and then it felt like soft ribbons were curling around his skin, oddly comforting, before Tony felt himself lowered onto a bed and a blanket pulled up over his shoulders.


	7. Chapter 7

The bed dipped as Loki sat down beside him. 

Loki’s fingers carded through Tony’s hair, oddly intimate for a moment before turning into a strong grip. Something astringent was shoved under Tony’s nose. 

The grip made sense as Tony struggled against the pungent mix of spices that didn’t blend well together, a mix of sweet and burnt and spicy. 

Tony coughed, Loki already letting go of his hair and screwing the cap back on a jar. His mind cleared. The panic was gone. “What—” Tony placed a hand over his miraculously calm heart. “What is that?” 

“A blend of herbs and magic,” Loki said, examining it for a moment. He set it on a stump that was serving as a nightstand. “You should keep it with you,” he decided. 

“That’s the most effective shit I’ve ever had,” Tony said, rubbing his chest. Loki tilted his head, watching Tony with something quizzical but curious. The light glittered against his makeshift horns. 

Tony felt much calmer with Loki beside him. He figured it was whatever drug Loki had given to calm him down, but just having his weight on the bed helped. Tony knew he shouldn’t be comforted by Loki’s presence, yet he still was. He could feel that Loki was still watching him even as he stared at the blankets covering him. 

“I guess you’re going to eat me now, huh?” Tony ventured. “Before Thor gets to?” 

“Eat you?” Loki smiled. “Tony, what benefit would it be for me to eat you now?” 

Tony glanced up, bewildered. Loki’s eyes were bright, dancing with mirthful light. “I had plans for your arrival here as my catch, but what _you’ve_ done, why Tony, it has been more wonderful than anything I could have ever created,” he said emphatically. 

Tony blushed. He didn’t know why. Loki was just so unbearably pleased with him for some reason. 

“Truly, I had no idea you missed me so,” Loki teased. He ran a hand down his robe, smiling to himself. “Considering your quaint murder attempt.” 

And there, so suddenly, was the vicious edge he was so capable of. 

“Yeah, well, I’m not a fan of being eaten.” Tony sheepishly ducked his head, feeling stupid to talk back. Loki was entirely capable of his threats. 

“Mm, well if you keep delighting me, perhaps you shall avoid your fate a little longer, won’t you?” 

“So you won’t—take me home again?” 

Loki considered Tony for a moment before running a hand through his hair again. Tony didn’t have the nerve to tell him to stop. Loki’s nails against his scalp caused little pinpricks of heat that raced down his spine and turned his muscles to jelly. “You wish to go home?” He brushed Tony’s hair so that it was more disheveled. “You’ll live longer here.” 

“I don’t—I don’t want to,” Tony said. “I want to go home.” 

When Tony glanced back up, the joy from Loki’s features was gone. Tony was overwhelmed by the urge to plead, something he’d rarely felt. “I’ll—Prince Loki, I’ll—I don’t—” 

The jar was back under his nose again. 

Tony coughed, pushing himself back up so that he was sitting straight up. Loki’s beauty was jarring when Tony was so uncomfortable, so he stared down at the bed. “You let me go home last time.” 

“Yes. I was quite generous, was I not?” Loki turned the jar over in his hands, his expression pinched. “In any event, you are in no place to petition me. You are Thor’s catch.” 

“So have Prince Thor give me to you—”

“—It insults me to sit here and argue with a human,” Loki said to the room, ignoring Tony. The abrupt lack of attention only made Tony acutely aware of how much attention had been on him. “I must say, I was so pleased with you, and here you are wishing to leave.” 

Loki rose from the bed, setting the jar down beside Tony. 

“Prince Loki, wait!” 

Loki paused, haughtily glancing back over his shoulder.

Tony didn’t know why he wanted him to stay. Maybe because he was his lifeline in this place and his one shot out, but seeing Loki leave pained him. “Talk to me?” 

Loki regarded him coldly for a moment before his lips quirked. “You wish to talk to me?” He glanced away. “Or does he wish to make demands?” He asked the glowing lights of the tent. 

“I—explain it to me. Last time you did that. You said I didn’t understand the rules, but you’d warn me of things—” Loki’s head turned away, his face in profile to Tony. He wanted to run his hands along the golden branches of horns and see if glitter came away on his skin. “Can you make me your catch instead?” 

“You suggest treason against my brother?” Loki tilted his head. “I should punish you for that.” 

“But I thought you were supposed to catch me in that grove!” Tony exclaimed, afraid of losing his voice.

Loki’s lips twitched in thought before his offense vanished. “I was,” he said, almost comforting Tony. “But I cannot undo what has been done.” His black robes gleamed in the light as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Tony knew he didn’t have time to puzzle Loki out, and he was starting to think that he could have all the time in the world and still always have questions. 

But he felt more than ever that Loki was the one he needed to get home, even if Loki wasn’t offering it. Thor had never looked at him with that same joy. Loki seemed to like him in his own bizarre way. 

“How can I—how can I make you happy?” Tony asked, surprised at his own earnestly. 

Loki’s entire posture softened. It may have been the softest that Tony had ever seen him. Then a surprised but delighted, almost zealous smile was over Loki’s face. “You wish to please me?” 

Tony nodded. The words came slowly. “I don’t—I don’t want you to be—unhappy with me.” 

It was probably entirely self-serving. Tony needed Loki to like him. 

Loki breathed out a laugh. “It is certainly true that you are a trying creature at times, but—” Tony was struck by the same warmth as before, blushing. “Your desire to please me is—” Loki turned away. 

Tony couldn’t tell what he was doing, but when Loki turned back around, it was like he’d taken those moments to control himself. The same familiar mask he always wore was back. “You have far exceeded my hopes for you,” Loki said, his voice still warm. He looked away, and Tony knew his mind was calculating and turning things over again. “Where is the other one?” 

“The—other one?” 

“The human I gave Thor,” Loki said, irritated. “Where is he?” Tony realized he was concerned, and even though Tony couldn’t understand why, it filled him with dread. 

“He—he’s probably fucking Lucius.” 

Loki’s head turned slowly towards him, like it was taking him too long to process the words. “Who?” He asked sharply. 

“A guy with long white hair. He was dressed in pretty much all white like a suit—” Loki muttered a name that Tony didn’t recognize. 

“Do not leave this tent,” Loki commanded him, vanishing a moment later. 

Tony’s heart ached at his absence. Tony sighed, letting his head fall against the headboard of twigs and staring up at the canopy of the tent. Little moths made of light fluttered at the top, trapped. 

Tony closed his eyes. It’d probably be hours before any of them were back. Time passed so oddly here that it was hard to tell ten minutes and ten hours apart. 

“This is the one you should be keeping chained up!” Loki exclaimed, appearing so quickly that Tony startled in confusion. It felt like only seconds had passed. 

Loki had James by the scruff of his neck, looking terrified for once. Tony couldn’t deny that it gave him a sense of smug satisfaction, even as his own adrenaline and fear spiked. Thor was there too, red faced and furious. 

“You cannot punish Freylinia for relieving the stupid creature! It is not as if he enjoyed the thing,” Loki said, and Tony realized Loki was lecturing Thor. “What would you have done if I had not showed up before you acted? You’d be punishing Freylinia unjustly—”

“—He is mine!” 

“And he was wandering around oh so helplessly,” Loki hissed back. “You cannot fault Freylinia. You _know_ this, so quell your temper for once.” Thor seethed. It was obvious he agreed with what Loki was saying, even though he did not want to. “Now help me hold him down.” 

“Why?” 

Loki glared with pure, exhausted malice like he couldn’t bear another moment. “To contain the dumb creature since he cannot control himself and you have no desire to share him.” 

Thor rolled his eyes but helped Loki by grabbing James and laying him out on a table, between saucers of creams and jars of jelly and nuts. A teacup tottered over and spilled. 

Tony couldn’t look away. He was waiting for the glint of a knife, or maybe they’d just snap his neck? 

Loki walked down the length of the table to James’s hip. Thor had James’s arms pinned down, but he began to kick as Loki’s gaze swept over him. Loki simply made a motion with his hand and vines burst up from the floor, securing James’s ankles. 

James was breathing frantically now, his eyes wide towards Loki. 

Loki’s eyes narrowed as he grasped James’s flaccid cock. There was a glint of gold, and for a split second, Tony thought it was a dagger. But instead it was a gold ring. Loki pushed James’s cock aside and he let out a frightened whimper as Loki grasped one testicle and forced it through the ring. Tony held his breath. Loki pushed the second through, then casually grabbed James’s cock and pulled it though the ring. 

Loki followed it with a metal cage, designed to look like twining ivy leaves and vines. Nothing about it looked particularly comfortable. It was designed to be beautiful. Loki held out his hand towards Thor. “I’m going to align it to you,” he said, gesturing for Thor to set his hand down.

Thor leant over James and set his hand on the golden cage, Loki’s hand staying for a moment before letting go. “There,” Loki said. He brushed off his hands, taking a step back from the table. The vines unfurled and sunk back to the floor. “Now do be sure to show Freylinia that you’ve controlled this little beast so that he doesn’t take offense at you denying his generous caretaking. It would go a long way to soothe his ruffled feathers.” 

Thor let go of James, who immediately sat up and grasped the cage in horror. Thor was smiling at Loki though, his rage from before gone. “It is truly an ingenious solution,” he said. 

Loki set one hand on his hip. “If you bothered to pay attention, you’d see that this is not such a rare sight. You are not the only one that does not care to watch their catch like a hawk.” 

“I would not have thought to do this,” Thor answered. “I have missed your council,” he confessed. 

Loki stilled, glancing back at Thor in soft surprise before looking away and quipping, “I would prefer you sought it for something a tad more intriguing than caring for a human. Truly Thor,” he began to tease, “you’re most lacking in talent for it. You should leave it to one of your servants to do.” 

Thor laughed, stepping forward and setting his hand on Loki’s shoulder. To Tony’s surprise, Loki didn’t shove it off, but seemed pleased by it. “Then perhaps you will indulge me to seek your council more often now.” 

“I believe I may have to,” Loki answered, but he was smiling. 

At the same time, both brothers eyes landed on the human that was sitting on the table before them. A chill ran through Tony. “Oh,” Loki said with detachment. “Look at his tears.” 

“Would you like them?” Thor offered. 

Loki turned to his brother, delighted. “You are most generous,” he said. “But I find myself lacking in appetite. Would you like them?” 

Tony looked away as Thor bent down. He’d never understand the whole tears thing, and it felt obscene to watch Thor’s tongue lave against James’s face. 

Tony’s cheeks were burning. Once again, he couldn’t decide if he hated the attention that James was getting, or if he felt blessed to be out of the spotlight. Loki’s hand on James’s cock was already playing through Tony’s mind again. 

When Tony dared to glance back, he found that Loki’s eyes were on him. A shine caught on Thor’s golden hair as he stood up. “The humans will need to sleep,” Loki said, turning to Thor. 

Thor grinned. “Look how freely I have your council already,” he said. “It would be most unjust of me to turn it down.” It seemed that he was teasing, if Loki’s expression was anything to go by. Loki smiled, shaking his head. “Shall we leave them here then? Freylinia can wait to see your clever work, and I wish to drink some of Bell Blossom’s mead.” 

“That does sound wonderful,” Loki agreed. “Shall I take us there?” He looped his arm around Thor’s elbow, and a moment later they were gone.

It was silent for a moment. 

James turned towards Tony, still seated on the table. His cheeks were a crimson red. His hair stuck out in different directions, and Tony realized that one of his necklaces was missing. 

“Shut up,” James said. 

Tony hadn’t realized that he was starting to smile until he was. “What’d you get in exchange for that cock cage?” 

James huffed. He grabbed the jar closest to him and poured a handful of hazelnuts into his palm. He tilted his head back as he tossed them in his mouth. Just seconds ago, Tony had feared for James’s life, and now he felt like being a dick to him to gloat about being right. James spoke with a mouthful. “A great hand job. Happy?” 

“About you finally seeing how dangerous this place is?” Tony made a face. “Of course I am.” 

James rolled his eyes. “I haven’t heard a single thing about eating anyone the entire time I’ve been here, except from you.” He dropped the jar of hazelnuts back onto the table with a thud. “I’ve just never seen either of them pissed before, alright?” 

“What happened when they found you with that other guy?” 

James brushed the crumbs away from his mouth. “Thor looked like he was going to blow a blood vessel. Look. I didn’t know it was a no. It’s not like anyone told me no!” James looked down at his lap with scorn. “I mean hey, if Thor wants me to himself, it’d be great if he actually did something more than parade me around and grab my ass. I don’t know what I have to do to get him to fuck.” 

James glared at Tony. “You’re pitying me. Why the hell are you pitying me?” 

Tony started to respond, but James cut him off. “I get that they’re like, not human, alright? But that doesn’t mean they’re going to eat you,” James said condescendingly. “I like being at a party where I can fuck and eat and drink and do whatever I like without anyone saying shit about it. Except you, apparently.” 

“Except for Thor and Prince Loki.” 

James held up his hands. “So, obviously, it’s becoming very clear that Loki’s pretty kinky, and I’m not, actually. No, this cage isn’t my idea of a good time. But maybe if your boyfriend hadn’t showed up, I could’ve had Thor fuck me.” 

“My boyfriend,” Tony shot back. 

“Yeah. Your boyfriend,” James said, getting off the table. “I’m tired of arguing with you, and they’re right. We haven’t slept in forever. Scoot over.” 

“You want to sleep in the bed with me?” 

“I’m not waking up with a hangover on the table,” James said, crawling in beside Tony. The bed was at least a twin, but it still wasn’t much room. James looked at Tony for a moment before getting a devious grin. He pulled back the covers, snuggling up to Tony and throwing his leg over him. 

“Hey!” Tony pushed back at him, James withdrawing his leg. 

“Big spoon or little spoon, you decide or give me the bed,” James said. 

Tony found that he didn’t actually want to give up the bed. He was exhausted too. “Fork,” Tony said, rolling onto his side, away from James.

He heard James’s muffled laugh. “What?” 

“Fork,” James said. “God, you are so lame!” 

Tony didn’t want to dignify that with a response.

“Tell me some dad jokes when we wakeup, alright old man?” 

“Sure, kid,” Tony answered. For a while he laid there. James was out like a light. 

Tony pursed his lips. He wondered if James would help if he asked him to come up with an escape plan together. It was worth asking, even if James turned him down. 

The jar Loki had left was still on the sheets. Tony grabbed it, giving the lid a curious whiff. He gaged. It was only good for when he was panicking then. Tony didn’t let go of it, though. He turned it over, admiring the opalescent sheen of the jar. He fell asleep with it clasped in his hand.


	8. Chapter 8

One of the jam jars clattered as Tony accidentally knocked it with his elbow. He grabbed it, glancing towards James.

The sound hadn’t woken him. He was curled up in a ball on the bed, his mouth slack in sleep, drool on his pillow. Tony sniffed the jam jar he’d originally grabbed. Strawberry. It was definitely strawberry.

Tony had taken to cataloging everything in the tent. So far, none of it had been promising. But there were dozens of foods that Tony didn’t recognize, and it rose the question of whether or not this realm had its own agriculture that was independent from Earth. Tony had travelled the world. He figured he’d tried mostly everything. 

Tony moved on to opening a wicker case on the table. It was set for a picnic. Plates were strapped to the lid, while dozens of cutlery pieces with delicately detailed flora were set below. Tony picked up one of the knives.

“Is that a shiv?” A groggy voice asked from the bed. 

“What? No,” Tony said, setting the butter knife down. It wasn’t sharp enough to be especially useful, but it was a good idea.

James sat up. “What’re you doing?” He rubbed at his eyes. “Tony—” James’s voice broke with a yawn. 

Tony checked the bottom of the case for a false bottom, but it really was nothing but a picnic set. Sighing, Tony latched it shut. He turned towards James. Now was as good a time to ask as any. “Hey, so.” Tony went and sat down on the end of the bed. 

He picked Loki’s jar from before off the nightstand, fidgeting with it.

James righted one of the necklaces that was twisted around his neck. 

“Look. I know you’re having a great time and what not, but at the end of it, do you want to help us get home? It’d probably be easier if two of us were working towards it.” 

James ran his hands through his hair, then dropped them to a bed with a sigh. “You mean escape.” 

Tony just stared at him. 

James looked away. 

“The fact that you just called it escape means you know we can’t leave.” 

“No. When I say escape, I mean that you mean you’re going to drag me along on some misguided attempt to escape,” James said, using air quotes for the word, “and I don’t see the point.” 

“How’s that cage feel?” 

“That was a low blow,” James answered. He sat back awkwardly against the headboard. 

Tony wished that James was as easy to get through to as Peter. Looking back on it, Peter had been easy to coach because he’d always been a little starry eyed around Tony. Some of the new young Avengers weren’t. Some of them were just teenagers that didn’t give a rats ass what Iron Man was telling them about.

It wasn’t that different from working with the grown Avengers, if he really thought about it. Sometimes Tony just felt like he paid for everything. 

He was glad Steve wasn’t here to argue with.

“Alright,” Tony said. “I know, look, I know the exhilaration of the party lifestyle. So far, this has been tame compared to some of the—”

“—I fucking called it,” James said. “As soon as you told me that story about you getting drunk and your mentor program, I knew this moment was coming.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not your little fish, alright? I don’t need you to save my soul with some back in the day lecture about how you know what I’m going through and I don’t have to make the same mistakes as you.” 

It was exactly the kind of thing Tony would’ve said when he was younger. 

“Fine,” Tony said, getting up. Nothing he could’ve said would’ve gotten through to him back in his younger days. It was astounding how old he felt sometimes. James seemed to have a knack for bringing it out.

Thor and Loki chose that moment to appear in the tent again, arms linked. Loki immediately stepped away, smiling towards them. “Thank God,” James muttered. 

Tony didn’t like the smile on Loki’s face. It was predatory, and far too pleased. “What’re you going to pick?” Thor asked. 

Loki spun back towards him, robe flaring out. “If you’re going to _beg_ for my assistance with this, you must resign yourself to sitting back and enjoying the process,” Loki said. Tony tensed. Thor’s eyes were set intently on his brother, but he seemed to be in a good mood. “Truly, you need my help if you wish to outshine everyone else.” 

“I have two catches,” Thor said. “Is that not enough?” 

Loki shrugged his shoulders with flare. “It is not simply about quantity, brother. Is the sheer number what gives the procession its grandeur? No. It’s the pageantry.” Loki turned away, sauntering towards the bed. Tony held perfectly still, as if that would make him invisible for this new game. 

Oddly enough, it seemed to work. Loki set his sights on James. “Stand up,” he directed. James slid out of bed, unsure. Tony felt a little smug at how quickly James reacted. Loki roughly pushed him forward several steps, so that Thor and Loki were both standing over him. Tony sat down on the bed, moving away from them.

“Let’s put anemones in his hair and gold on his lips,” Loki said. As he spoke, Loki drew the flowers seemingly from thin air. “Where is Thumbelina,” he demanded. As soon as the name was said, a petite fairy appeared. “The hair,” Loki said, floating anemone flowers falling into her arms.

She pulled out a chair from the table and stood on it. She began twisting the anemones into James’s hair, resembling a crown. “Paint his face with gold,” Loki told her before directing his attention back to Thor.

“Freylinia always chooses his own appellative flowers,” Loki said, a hint of mocking in his voice. Thor frowned at the name. “If you want this creature to stand out, you’ll have to use your own colors to full effect.” 

Loki stood behind James, wrapping his arms around his torso. Jealously flared through Tony before he pushed it down. Loki yanked the necklaces.

They broke, beads scattering onto the floor. Loki dropped what remained in his hand onto the ground. 

Tony was impressed that James didn’t protest.

Loki flicked one of his nipples, sharp eyes set on Thor over his shoulder as he did. “This one needs jewelry.” 

Loki held out his hand. Two golden hoops were set in it, one end of each decorated with golden flowers. There was also a needle.

A slow smile spread across Thor’s face. He stepped forward, Loki holding James still as Thor took them.

To Tony's surprise James smiled, leaning as forward as Loki would allow, a soft "yes" falling from his lips.

Thor pierced and set the jewelry with such easy, practiced precision that Tony knew it wasn’t uncommon for Thor to do. He wondered how many other people had experienced it. James cried out each time the needle struck, tossing his head back against Loki. Once both were set, Thor dropped the needle on the table.

Thor bent forwards. His tongue drew a slow trail up the line of blood left behind on James’s chest. Tony couldn’t look away. His heart skipped a few beats. Thor seemed to relish it, while Loki held James with absolute authority, but with a frenzied sort of pleasure beneath. 

James was little dazed. He grinned up at Thor as the prince rose back to his full height, and Tony realized with embarrassment that James was turned on. 

“Predictable, this one,” Loki said with some amusement. “I think laced shoes for his feet?” 

Thumbelina was lacing up a pair of golden gladiator sandals a moment later. Loki let go without warning, forcing James to catch himself. 

Thumbelina’s wings flared as she brushed gold paint over James’s lips. Her paintbrush outlined his eyes, and then she took a jar of golden dust and painted his cheeks with it. “All of him,” Loki corrected her.

She powdered him with a much larger brush, bathing his bare skin in golden glitter.

Tony bit his lip. James was attractive. He couldn’t deny it, and he also couldn’t deny that watching the whole thing was a little arousing. He crossed his legs, trying to ignore the sensation. 

Thor gazed over James with obvious lust, but Loki brushed a hand against his chin in thought. “He’s underwhelming.” Then his eyes sparked. 

“I do feel so tempted to suggest gagging his mouth,” Loki said, turning to Thor with humor. “He can’t control himself, can he?” 

Thor grinned back. “He cannot, but I prefer his mouth to be free.” 

“A shame,” Loki commented. “It would be so pretty stretched open with a bit.” Loki stepped back behind James, slipping two fingers in against his lips. James eagerly accepted them. “See it?” Loki asked Thor, his voice lilting as he cast a satisfied glance towards Thor. 

Thor licked his lips. “Perhaps just for the procession.” 

Loki lit up. “Yes, of course. Here, I am certain that I have something fitting.” Loki paused for a moment before pulling a golden bit gag out of nothing. He slid it into James’s mouth, saliva dripping from his fingers. “And a floral cape,” Loki said to his assistant.

She bowed, vanishing before returning a split second later with a cape of crimson red flowers. Loki fastened it to James’s shoulders by tying straps around them. The cape’s long train stretched out on the floor beneath them. 

Loki patted James’s shoulders, red petals falling onto the ground. “There,” Loki said, smiling at Thor. “It’s not so difficult to prepare them with a little flair.” Loki grabbed James’s chin, tilting James’s head towards him. “Isn’t he sweet?” 

“Indeed,” Thor said, with such obvious lust and anticipation that Tony couldn’t understand how he was the only person in the tent made uncomfortable by it.

Without a word, Loki turned and started towards the bed. Tony tensed. 

Loki smiled at him, and the slow slide of his grin was purely predatory. Loki’s gaze dropped down, then softened in surprise for a moment. 

He slid the jar from Tony’s grip, saying nothing. 

Loki pulled a coin shaped pendant from the air. His nail slid swiftly down the side, popping it open. Loki shook some of the jar’s contents inside before snapping it shut. He drew the necklace over Tony’s head. 

Tony flushed. It was swiftly done, but it still felt oddly considerate. Doting. Loki set the rest of the jar back down on the bed. Loki paused in thought. He stood back up, and Tony slowly realized Loki was calculating something. Tony glanced behind him.

Thumbelina was standing at attention, as if that would make her oblivious to the way Thor was playing with James. James had his arms wrapped around Thor’s shoulders, moaning as Thor laved at his chest behind the cape. 

When Tony glanced back, there was a knowing smile in Loki’s eyes. He said nothing, but drew red roses from the air. “A golden cape if you would,” he told Thumbelina, quieter than before. “And a measuring tape.” 

Loki set his hands on either side of Tony’s head. Tony’s spine curled. He wanted Loki’s fingernails raking through his hair again. Instead, Tony smelled something singed, then Loki pulled his hands away. He immediately reached for the collar on Tony’s neck, detaching the chain. 

Loki’s lip curled as his hand slid over the collar. 

And then, in an instant, the expression was gone. Thumbelina was returning with a golden cape that Loki gestured for her to set on the bed, and then he was pulling Tony to stand up. 

Loki stepped back to allow her to take measurements. Her wings flared and beat intermittently before going perfectly still. Loki gave her a series of directions that Tony didn’t really follow, and then she vanished.

Loki glanced back over his shoulder. “The collar doesn’t suit him.” 

“Do as you wish,” Thor answered, brushing his thumb over James’s cheek. 

Loki snapped it off, throwing the broken pieces onto the bed. Tony’s shredded suit flashed through his mind. 

Loki undid Tony’s robes, and Tony was quieted by the way they slipped away, leaving him bare. Loki’s hands didn’t linger, but he stayed close. He avoided Tony’s gaze, acting as if this were routine.

Loki began threading the roses together into a wreath. Thumbelina reappeared with a bundle of clothing. Tony found himself willingly stepping into a set of crimson red robes. They were long and shimmering red, regal even. He was surprised by how modest it was. He felt elegant and expensive, which was as far from what he’d expected to feel when he’d watched James being dressed. He was directed to put on golden, pointed shoes. If the whole experience hadn’t been so odd, he might’ve laughed at them.

Instead he held his breath as Loki drew the golden cape around him. It reminded Tony of a spider’s web. The threads all laced together in intricate patterns. It had a long train like James’s, but Tony’s red robes peeked out from beneath. 

“Paint his face as you will,” Loki directed Thumbelina. Her hands were incredibly soft against Tony’s face. She outlined his eyes in black, painting his eyelids with a shimmering red that made Tony come off as a little more aggressive than he felt, like some sort of carnivorous bird. She shaped his beard faster than Tony’d ever done it in his life. Golden dust was brushed along his cheekbones. 

Thumbelina stepped back. 

Loki quietly took her place and stood before Tony, carefully setting the crown of roses on his head. The scent of juniper drifted towards Tony. Loki’s lips quirked with a tiny smile before he drew back. “There,” he announced. Tony blinked, disquieted that the moment with Loki had ended. “Are they not a pleasing set, now?” 

Thor drew away from James, casting a curious glance towards Tony. He seemed surprised at first, but that was quickly followed by a blend of humor and hunger that didn’t sit well with Tony. Thor boosted James up to sit on the table.

Tony was shocked that none of James’s makeup was smudged. His cock just sat swelled and straining against the sad cage it was in.

“You’ve made him more youthful,” Thor observed. 

Loki shrugged. “I’ve merely removed the gray from his hair.” 

Tony reflexively reached for it. He felt no difference, but he did feel silly doing it. 

“Shall we bring them to the procession?” Loki asked, brushing his hair back over his shoulder.

Thor frowned at his brother. “We have a little more time before it begins.” 

Loki feigned surprise. “We do,” he said, as if he’d forgot. “Then I suppose I shall be going to get a drink,” he said, taking a step as if to leave.

“Stay!” Thor grinned like it was all for fun. “Let us take them together and then we shall get a drink before the show begins.” Loki paused, considering. “You have truly done wonders with the way they look. Everyone shall be as jealous as you say.” Thor walked away from the table, James pouting after him. Thor set his hand on Loki’s shoulder. “I should like to have your company at the procession.” 

“If you insist,” Loki said with a slow smile. “Go grab the other,” Loki told his brother. “We’ll leave together.” 

Tony tried catching Loki’s eye as Thor went to grab James, but Loki wasn’t facing him. In a blur, the four of them were teleported to a garden that had Tony blinking in the sunlight. 

They were in a clearing surrounded by towering hedges. Others were milling around, and with a start Tony realized they were human. There was one fae in the middle that approached Thor and Loki with a bow. “Your royal highnesses.” 

“These are my catches,” Thor said, gesturing to James and Tony. 

Tony’s heart was pounding, but Loki didn’t seem at all concerned. He acted bored, if anything. It was a small comfort.

“And what fine catches they are.” 

Thor nodded, grabbing Loki’s elbow with his own. “Let’s go.” 

They were gone in the blink of an eye. 

Tony scanned the crowd. 

Everyone was also outlandishly dressed. James's outfit looked tame next to half of them, and Tony realized his own robes stood out for being overdressed. The guard had lost interest in them the moment that Loki and Thor had left. He was reading a book, ignoring the people chatting around him. James tapped his shoulder.

Tony glared at him. “What?” 

James shook his head in an exaggerated warning. “What?” Tony asked. “You think I’m going to start an escape?” 

James rolled his eyes and nodded his head, like Tony was the most tiring person he’d ever met.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Tony said. He liked to think that his walking away looked dignified, but it was really just a gruff walk in a crown of roses with a cape. 

Tony’d find a way out or get some decent intel, or maybe he’d just have a good time cracking jokes before starting a rebellion.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony started with a group of ten people that were sitting in a haphazard circle. They cast some disinterested looks in his direction before a young woman’s eyes lit up in recognition. 

“You’re Thor’s catch!” 

It was not the phrase Tony had been expecting. It earned him several new, curious glances though. “You know me?” 

She nodded, but the man sitting beside her chimed in. “Loki caught you and gave you to Thor, right?” 

“No,” Tony said, trying to follow why this was so interesting to them. “That—Prince Loki caught James.” Tony pointed back over his shoulder, scanning the clearing for James. He rolled his eyes when he saw James was already getting handsy with a woman wearing nothing but bursts of petals. “The guy with the red cape.” 

“You’ve met Loki though,” a woman dressed with tropical leaves asked. Tony nodded. 

“What was Loki like?” The man asked. He wore a plume of black feathers on his shoulders, and loosely fitted silver pants. 

Tony couldn’t help but realize he was at least ten years older than all the other catches there. He tried to forget how outlandish they all looked. “Ok, I guess? I mean—why?”

“They say he’s a Moon Eater.” 

“What’s that?” Tony asked.

Someone else chimed in. “Don’t know, but no one says it in a good tone. I’ve heard them say it too.” There were nods of agreement from around them. “I thought maybe you knew.” 

Tony absently felt his chest, the locket pressing back against his fingers beneath his robes. “No. What else do they say?” 

The man gave a noncommittal shrug. “They talked about him because he’d given his catch away to Thor.” 

“I heard Florette say she thinks they’ve become close again.” 

“Hey! Has anyone told you that you look like Tony Stark?” Tony froze. He didn’t want that getting out. “I mean, a few years younger and like, dressed by David Bowie, but still.” 

Tony gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah, I have.” His heart flipped. “It’s even worse because my name’s Tony.” 

“You should get rid of the beard then, dude.” 

“There’s a guy in my hometown literally named Harry Potter, from before when the books were written, and he says he doesn’t want to change his name, but it’s a complete drag.” 

“Well, I mean it was his name too. It’s not like he should have to change it—”

“—Guys,” Tony said, holding up his hands. He was surprised at how easily they stopped and listened. “Does anyone know what happens to us when this party’s over?” 

There were some anxious and some bored looks around the circle. After a few moments, a girl who hadn’t spoke at all softly answered. “I do.” 

_Finally_, Tony thought.

She twisted a lock of her hair. “I met some people from previous parties.” A soft wind blew through, rustling their clothes. “We stay here when it’s done and work. We, uh, clean their rooms and stuff.” 

“You met other people from before?” 

“I fell asleep and woke up in a room with three other people. One didn’t really want to talk to me, but the other two did a little bit.” She chewed on her lip. 

“What’d they say?” Tony prompted, impatient. 

She tugged at one of the flowers tied around her wrist. “One said just to enjoy it while I can, because after this I won’t be allowed to enjoy the parties.” A petal came loose from the flower. She flicked it away.

“And the other?” Someone else asked. 

“She said I was in my new bed and welcome to the group. I know she felt sorry for me.” 

A heavy, uncomfortable silence settled over them. Tony saw his moment. “So I don’t know about you guys, but there’s one guard here and a bunch of us. I say we make a run for it while we have the chance.” 

“I agree,” the woman with the tropical leaves said. “I don’t want to be stuck here forever.” 

“But there’s no way out. There’s not even a door.” 

It was just a large, open courtyard surrounded by hedges. “Somebody cover me,” Tony said, walking towards the hedge. A few people followed him. Tony crouched down to push back the branches of the hedge.

“I don’t think these are leaves,” Tony said slowly. “It’s—smooth. Like stone.” 

“Let me see,” the woman with the tropical leaves said. “Holy shit.” 

“Yeah.” 

“You know, this feels like granite or something. Hey Emil,” she said, nodding her head towards the man with the plume of feathers. “Check this out.” 

He knelt down too. 

“Fuck.”

“Pretty much.” 

They stood, disappointed faces around them. Tony didn’t realize how excited he’d been by the thought of escape until he realized just how much this had made his heart sink.

“I think we’re stuck here,” Emil said. “What do you think, Rita?” 

She threw her hands up in a shrug, the leaves on her shoulders swaying. “I think that even if we tried to climb the wall, we’d probably hit some sort of surface. This place is fucking up our senses. It’s all fake.” 

Tony crossed his arms with a huff. He did not want to give up. “Does anyone know more about what happens at this procession?” 

“I was told that if I looked pretty, I’d get cake.” 

“Oh my god, what are you, a child?” 

“Hey, I’m not going to say no to free cake.” 

“I think it’s some sort of beauty pageant. They painted my face for hours and kept saying they didn’t think it was enough to beat someone else’s catch.” 

“Really? Because you’ve got enough paint on your face to make a clown cry.” 

“Hey! That was fucking mean! I didn’t choose the look!” 

“Neither did I, but at least mine had taste.” 

“So nobody really knows,” Tony said, raising his voice to cut over the chatter.

“Pretty much,” Emil said. 

“Great.” 

Tony turned to look out over the rest of the yard. A few other people were making out, and Tony was glad that he couldn’t see whatever was going on under James’s cape. There were a couple of people sitting alone. One was picking at the grass and tying it in knots. 

Tony was just about to go ask them if they knew anything when a horn sounded. Suddenly the enclosure was filled with flashes of light that left humans behind, all elaborately dressed like the rest of them. The guard was now riding an antelope with flowers tied around its horns. 

When he spoke, he did so at a level tone, but it sounded as though he was standing right beside them. “You will form a single file line,” he commanded. “You will walk with three paces between yourselves. Do not bunch together. You are to return to the person that caught you at the end of the procession. Start the line here,” he said, pointing to himself.

He spent the next twenty minutes changing the order of the line. He made James stand behind Tony. James had given Tony a sarcastic wave. He had a hickey on his shoulder. They were made to stand in a spiral so that everyone fit in the enclosure. A few flashes of light brought late comers, who were also made to stand in line. 

When the guard was finally happy, he walked to the tail of the spiral. “Follow me,” he said. The hedge turned into an archway. 

They were lead out slowly, down a garden path that was lined with bleacher-like seats made of earth and plants. The path stretched on and on. There were thousands of faces. It was utterly overwhelming. The fae there seemed to be having a grand time, drinking and laughing and openly commenting on them as they passed. Many of them were holding tan colored booklets. 

Tony’s heart was racing. This would be the absolute worst place to make an escape. 

The path lead on and on, until Tony felt himself relaxing. It was a little boring to be paraded around.

After a while, Tony tired of gawking at the crowd. He watched the man in front of him instead. He wore a cerulean blue cape that covered his back, and peacock feathers in his hair. Every once in a while Tony would glance to the side, looking for Thor or Loki. 

It wasn’t until they reached the end of the procession that Tony saw them. They were sitting higher up than anyone else, each on their own throne. Loki wore a golden crown now, and green robes with delicate oval patterns of gold lace on them. Beside him, Thor was dressed in similar red and gold robes. 

“Bow,” the guard instructed him, his voice a whisper at their ears. They were all brought to a line and bowed. Tony held his breath as he did. When he looked back up, Loki’s eyes were set attentively on him. “Return to the one that caught you.” 

The crowd grew louder as people went back, some of them running with shouts of joy that were met with praise. More than a few had crowds of other fae gathering around them to admire their friends’ catches.

James sauntered past Tony, his cape brushing against Tony’s legs as he made a beeline to Thor, leaping into his lap. 

Tony knew he was supposed to go to Thor. He did.

But Loki’s eyes were set on his, and they were so mesmerizing. 

Tony’s nose filled with the scent of roses. Loki glanced towards Thor, and Tony’s heart ran cold. And then it thawed as Loki turned away, setting his ankle on his knee as he took a sip of wine. 

Tony didn’t want to go back to Thor. Loki was sitting right beside him. Would anyone notice or care if Tony went to Loki’s throne first instead? 

Tony knew it was a stupid idea. It’d open him up to punishment, if Thor cared. Maybe he wouldn’t. James was splayed in his lap, blushing as Thor laved at his chest. He probably wouldn’t notice.

And it might be one of those things that Loki liked. 

Tony approached the thrones. He kept a path in the middle, right until the very last moment. 

Tony turned, knowing exactly what he wanted to do. Loki was his shot home. He didn’t care what Thor wanted. Tony kept his eyes trained downwards so he wouldn’t lose his resolve. He knelt onto the cushion on the ground closest to Loki’s throne, sitting as he had years before.


	10. Chapter 10

Tony heard a sharp intake of breath from Loki. His heart took several heavy, tight thumps. 

The crowd wasn’t looking towards them, and Tony figured they’d be scandalized if he’d done something that was too offensive. Everyone just seemed to be laughing and drinking and having a grand old time like always.

Loki shifted in his chair. His robes rustled in the corner of Tony’s eye. Loki’s pointed black boot tipped forward and back up, as if with impatience before the motion stopped. 

Wet smacking sounds came from Thor and James. Tony assumed they were occupied. 

“Thor.” 

Loki’s voice was tight and constrained. 

“Perhaps,” he said, voice unwinding a fraction, “since you cannot attend to both your catches, I might—assist you?” 

Tony held his breath. It was too good. It was just too good.

James whimpered in protest. 

“Wonderful,” Loki said, breathless. Tony barely had a moment before a hand was at his shoulder. Loki’s cool finger tips set against him. “Stand then.” 

He was shaking as he did, uncertain of what he’d find when he looked at Loki.

He wasn’t prepared for adoration. He was prepared for many things, but not that.

Loki smirked, and in a second the danger he always carried with him was back. “Sit.” He opened his arms, and self-consciously, Tony sat in his lap. Loki grasped Tony’s stomach, making his spine curl. He pulled Tony’s back flush against his chest and knelt down beside his ear, away from Thor. “What a brazen thing you are,” he whispered, his breath warm against Tony’s skin. “Do you seek punishment? Oh, how my mind does wonder.” 

“No,” Tony breathed out anxiously. “But,” he said, drawing up his classic Stark charm, “I wouldn’t want you to starve without my tears.” 

Loki threw his head back with a laugh, the tired, manic kind of someone that has not laughed in a long time.

He hooked his chin over Tony’s shoulder, pulling him in tighter against his chest. Tony’s head spun with it. Loki’s embrace was warm, and even though his breath sent nervous tingling down Tony’s spine, Tony’s whole body seemed to flood with relaxed heat. “You say such daring things, but you forget I can smell your fear,” Loki spoke quietly beside his ear. Tony tensed. “Ah, it is not such a bad thing. It is rather an indicator of your intellect, I feel.” 

Tony’s arms hung over Loki’s. He flexed one hand, feeling a bit like a rag doll.

“Oh,” Loki said with a bit of a pout in his voice. “Have I spoiled your good mood?” 

Tony licked his dry lips. “No.” He took a slow breath. “It’s just not every day that I’m around someone that can—smell fear. I guess that’s what the roses are for, huh? To cover it up?” 

A laugh was breathed beside his ear. “Not at all.” 

Loki reached up to one of the roses. He slid his fingers between the pillowy soft petals, burying them inside the flower. Loki repeated the motion on several before curling both arms around Tony again. 

There was a wet squelch, and then James muttering something dirty beside them. The gag was gone, then. Tony huffed. He didn’t want to listen to them. “Are you hungry?” Loki asked, voice louder than before. 

“I—”

“—Starving?” Loki suggested, before Tony could give a lukewarm answer. He caught on.

“I’m so hungry,” Tony said emphatically. 

“Yes. Well, I would not care to see you starve and be accused of negligence.” Loki leaned back. “Let us go and find you something suitable to eat,” Loki announced. “I find I desire a walk.” Swiftly he leant down and whispered, “You will follow behind me and stay close.” 

Tony found himself being lowered onto the ground. Loki took a step to the side, about to go in front of him, when Thor spoke. “Bring him back.” 

It was like grinding gears in Tony’s mind.

Loki’s voice came lightly a moment later. “Of course I’ll bring him back. Whatever do you think I’ll do with him?” 

Thor gave Loki a tired, knowing look of warning before ignoring him to suck on James’s neck. Loki turned and started out into the crowd. 

Tony had to hurry to keep up with him, his cape flaring outwards. Tony didn’t miss how heads turned to watch a mortal in a crown of bedraggled roses chase after their prince. 

Tony didn’t care. He was used to being in the public eye, and he appreciated that it got him away from Thor and James. 

Loki brought him to a clearing that was filled with tables, all covered with dish upon dish of food. He nodded for Tony to sit on one of the chairs at the edge of the clearing. There weren’t that many others around. 

Loki moved gracefully through the tables, grasping long silver serving tongs and piling food onto a dish. 

By the time he was done, the clearing was empty. Loki didn’t seem to notice. He walked over and sat down on a tufted chair beside Tony. 

He drew out a slender fork and pierced a small pastry with it. He held up his fork by the bottom so that the pink sugar dusted confection was at the top, and then he set the plate in Tony’s lap. “Eat,” he said. 

“This is a ton of food,” Tony remarked. Loki made a noncommittal hum, setting his ankle against his knee and twirling the fork with an air of boredom. Tony stared down at the heavy plate.

There were meats and vegetables and fruits and sweets and pastries. Tony was afraid to try the meat, even as he thought he needed protein. He tried the vegetables instead. 

Now that they were alone, Tony wasn’t sure what to say to Loki. He’d already asked to go home. He didn’t want to bring it up again so soon. He was also realizing that he was very hungry. 

Tony picked the vegetables out of the pile of food, and slowly progressed towards the fruit. 

“It is a pity you couldn’t have won the procession.” 

Tony swallowed. “Why not?” He asked, mindful that he didn’t have crumbs in his beard. “Because Thor can’t enter with two?” 

Loki smiled like Tony’d said something a bit dumb but very amusing. “Because we princes cannot enter our catches to win. Everyone would have to vote for us, and that wouldn’t be fair, now would it?” 

Tony set a hand on both sides of the plate. That didn’t really make sense. 

“Besides,” Loki said. “The prizes are rather dull. Flowers and baubles that we already have too many of.” He brushed his hair back behind his ear. “I suppose they should be collecting the ballots now.” 

So, he’d not only been paraded around to be gawked at, but stuck in some weird beauty pageant that won by a voting system. Tony didn’t want to know more. “Are you finished?” Loki asked. 

“Yes.” Loki took the plate without a word, setting it on the edge of a table. He sat back in his own chair, twirling his fork with pastry still on it. 

“Do you know,” Loki said, examining the glimmering, clear sugar on the pastry. “That I am quite fond of wine? My brother and I have often had drinks together, and once, or perhaps a few more times, I may have found my tongue getting away from me while I was drinking in my brother’s residence. I know it quite well. Once, I rounded the staircase the servants use that’s by the kitchens and followed it to the very top where there is a small wooden door in the ceiling that is rather easy to push aside and close and then draw the ladder up into. The room is where they store bed linens and such. I slept the night in there and woke with a hangover. Thor and I had a good laugh about it afterwards.” 

“I don’t know whatever reminded me of that now,” Loki said, like the story had gotten away from him.

Tony cringed. Loki had given him a hiding place. That couldn’t be a good thing. 

“So uh, you and Thor are close?” 

“Of course,” Loki answered swiftly. “How could we not be? We are brothers.” He took a bite of the pink pastry and red erupted from it, a gelatinous ooze that trailed down Loki’s cheek. He stuck the rest of the pastry in his mouth, drawing a clean fork from between his lips. 

Tony found himself drawn to the filling that Loki had missed. He wanted to taste it against Loki’s skin.

Loki drew his finger through the spill, cleaning it from his skin and vanishing it away. 

Tony didn’t realize he’d sighed until Loki’s eyes sharpened towards him. “It’s nothing,” Tony shrugged. “I’m just realizing how tired I am,” he lied. 

“Is that so?” 

Tony thought about a seductive one liner, but the fear of how badly that could go held him back. He didn’t know the rules. He didn’t want his voice taken away, or to have his ass smacked until he cried. 

“I suppose I should be taking you back to rest. You have been awake far longer than mortals typically seem to be able to handle.” 

“I can stay,” Tony said immediately. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to being a third wheel. 

Loki shook his head, standing. “I cannot indulge you. You should have a night’s sleep.” 

Tony didn’t get up. “Prince Loki—I—I didn’t mean to upset you. Please stay.” 

Loki’s lips quirked. “Are you making demands of a prince now?” 

“No! I’m—”

Loki laughed. “I will indulge you on this, and in exchange, you will allow me to escort you without protest.” 

Tony stood. Loki could make the shittiest deals. He would’ve been a wonderful human lawyer. Loki stared down at him, reaching for one of the roses in his hair. 

He dragged his fingers through it, pollen drifting outwards. 

“I wish for you to make me a promise, Tony.” Tony swallowed, bracing himself. “Do not fall in love with Thor.” 

Tony’s eyes went wide. “He’s not my type,” Tony said. Wasn’t that obvious? That didn’t stop the unhappy twist of Loki’s lips. “I—I promise, alright? I don’t think I even need to. That wasn’t going to happen.” 

Loki snapped one of the roses off of Tony’s crown. He considered it for a moment before sliding it into his pocket. Before Tony could ask, Loki grabbed his shoulders. He was back in the tent, and Loki was nowhere to be found.

Tony woke to the sound of breaking glass. He shot up in the bed, heart racing before he set eyes on James. “Ugh,” Tony protested. “Could you keep it down over there?” 

“I just wanted jam on my toast,” James slurred. He had a comically large slice of bread that he was piling spoonfuls of orange jam onto. A jar of purple jam lay shattered on the floor. “Did you spend the whole night sleeping in here? Man! What a buzzkill. You missed the best part of the paaaarty.” 

“Really,” Tony said flatly.

“Really,” James mocked him. “It was just one big fucking orgy.” James took a huge bite out of his toast, smearing jam all over his cheek. His lips smacked as he chewed. 

Tony rolled his eyes. There was no going back to sleep now, even though he felt like he wanted to sleep another ten hours. 

James devoured the toast, cramming it in his mouth with massive bites. He picked a fluted glass up from the table and downed a massive drink. 

James walked towards him, a wince in his step. “Before you ask,” James said. “Yes, Thor fucked me. Finally!” He exclaimed. James gingerly sat down on the bed. “Do you want a sip?” He asked, extending the glass out towards Tony. 

It looked like champagne, and there were sliced strawberries at the bottom of the glass. Tony stared at them a moment too long. “Nope. I’m good. I don’t like strawberries, and uh, I don’t really drink.” 

“Right,” James said. He sipped a little more. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re too responsible?” 

“Why? Because I don’t want to drink? Or because I want to go home?” 

James looked away, his face vanishing behind the glass for a moment. “All I know about you is that you care a whole lot about being a mentor and you’re a mechanic. You might think that sounds super noble, but all I see is a guy that works all the time. I mean, are you happy? You don’t even seem _happy_ when you talk about those things.” 

“Are you my therapist now?” 

James snorted. “Are you paying me two hundred bucks for our chat?” Tony glared at him. “Didn’t think so.” He laughed, a little giddy. “Ok. So. Tell me one thing you’re super duper happy about doing when you get home that isn’t work.” 

Tony didn’t like that his lab was the first and only thing that appeared in his mind. He had to actually think about it. He missed Jarvis. He missed a lot of people, especially Rhodey, even if they were so busy with their own lives that he didn’t see them often. 

“It’s my home. I don’t need to justify getting back to it.” 

“That’s not a good answer,” James said. He burped.

“You’re drunk,” Tony said. “And I’m not sharing the bed with a guy that looks like he fell into a vat of glitter glue.” James had a couple flowers left in his hair. The cape was gone, and his sandals. Tony was surprised that his piercings were still intact. 

“Mildly inebriated,” James corrected him. “And I don’t feel like sleeping right now anyway.”

“At least there’s that.” 

“Stop it,” James said, stretching. “Listen. I’m on a post-fuck high, and I want to help you loosen that stick in your ass a bit so you can enjoy yourself.” 

Tony decided that distraction was the best route to go, and he knew what to ask, even if he didn’t want the answer. “What was Thor like?” 

“Oh,” James said, eyes lighting up. “You want to know? O-kay.” He set the glass down. It was empty now, aside from the strawberries. “It was great. Absolutely great. He’s huge. And he didn’t care afterwards that I hooked up with other people. They just had to be human. Don’t make that pity face. I didn’t care. It was mind blowing. He even fucked me again right before he sent me back here.” 

James huffed. “Don’t ask questions if you don’t want to know, Tony. Or are you jealous? Oh, you know, I was a little bit disappointed you weren’t there. I’d kind of hoped that Thor would stack us up on top of each other and give us both a go—”

“—That’s enough,” Tony cut him off. “That’s just really fucking enough. I’ve told you this isn’t a goddamn game here.” 

“Because you’re—”

“—Because I’m fucking tired, James. This is fun to you now, but I’ve been there, alright? I’ve done the whole lifestyle, whether you believe it or not. Yeah, you’re on a self-destructive high now. But you know what? The party ends. If you don’t crash and burn, all the self-destruction you’re doing? It’s just making it that much harder to start over when you can’t get high off it anymore.” 

James was quiet for a moment. “It feels pretty damn good now,” he said. 

Thor and Loki appeared, cutting their conversation short. James immediately looked away, hopping off the bed to greet Thor. “Tony,” Loki said, stepping between James and Thor to stand in front of him. “You’re still wearing the clothes from before.” 

“I didn’t know I could take them off,” Tony said. A tiny, almost possessive smile quirked on Loki’s lips in a flash so brief, he wasn’t sure that he’d seen it. Thor had grabbed James’s hand and was leading him out of the tent. Tony figured Thor wasn’t done with James, then.

Loki brushed his hand along the side of Tony’s face, and Tony both hated and loved the sensation it drew. Warmth sparked through Tony at the comfort. “You left everything on, except your shoes,” Loki chided him. “How could that have possibly been comfortable?” He took the crown of roses from Tony’s hair. 

Tony smiled a little as petals fell to the floor. 

“Stand so I may undress you,” Loki said. Tony stepped out of bed, his heart missing a few beats. He hadn’t expected for Loki to dress him up twice. Loki moved with swift movements, undoing Tony’s cape and robes. Tony glanced towards the tent opening. It had been odd to see it open when it had always been spelled shut. Loki’s thumb brushed his cheek. “This makeup is horribly thick. I do think you are in need of a bath.” 

Before Tony could object, they were vanishing from the tent.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony recognized the room immediately. Disappointment sunk in. “I thought we were going to your place.” 

Loki didn’t dignify that with an answer. “I trust that you can bathe yourself?” He walked away from the tub to where a wooden chair was set. Loki pulled clothing from thin air, laying it across the back of the chair. 

Thor’s bathing suite felt a bit like losing a game of Chutes and Ladders. Tony was back to the start of this strange experience. “You’re not going to stay?” 

Loki folded the sleeves of the shirt so that they laid neatly over the front. “I have things I must attend to.” 

Loki wasn’t even looking at him, but the clothes he was laying out. It was so cold compared to the way Loki had been touching him moments ago that a fit of annoyance washed over Tony. 

He climbed into the tub, already filled with warm water, removing his pendant and setting it away to stay dry. Tony noisily splashed at the water as he scrubbed his arm. When he glanced up, Loki was watching him with slight, constrained surprise. Tony pushed his lips together and sank down in the tub. The water came up over his chest.

“Your mood is sour,” Loki said, almost careful. “Because I am not staying?” 

“I just can’t get this glitter off my face,” Tony said, scrubbing.

“I know perfectly well when you are lying.” 

The phrase made Tony shiver, but he still looked towards Loki, the steam wafting up around him in curls and leaving droplets of water in his hair. His golden makeup had started to drip down his cheek. Loki was perfectly still, his hands almost frozen over the clothing, but his face revealed nothing. “I don’t know,” Tony admitted. He felt like an idiot now that he had Loki’s attention.

He wasn’t supposed to want to have it.

Tony’s eyes dropped back to the water, “I might’ve remembered you and James the first night.” 

It was impossible to forget. Tony had thought about it more than he wanted to admit.

Loki scoffed. “You mean to say that you are jealous of the way I presented my catch? How charming.” Loki set his hands at his sides. “Would you have liked to be flaunted as such, had you been my catch?” 

“No.” 

“No indeed,” Loki agreed. “How fortunate then that my catch was so fond of it. Bathe if you would, as it tires me to ask you again. Once you are dressed, you are to seek assistance from one of my brother’s retinue. Do try to do as you are asked. I will not be around to dole out your punishment.” 

Loki took one last look at him, and then he was gone.

If Tony hadn’t felt like an idiot before, he did now. He wasn’t even sure what had come over him.

Tony sank down to his nose and blew bubbles in the water.

Tony didn’t spend as long in the bath as he normally would have. Loki’s chastising made him less willing to doddle, and he knew that something new had to be happening if he wasn’t being kept in the tent anymore. He didn’t want to think about that.

His new clothes were plain, almost boring. He’d been given a set of loose, baggy cloth pants and a loose fitting smock of a shirt. They were Thor’s colors. Tony’s red shirt was embroidered with gold patterns. 

Tony had carefully tucked the pendant beneath it. 

Pushing open the door of the bath, Tony found a fairy with short golden wings was just outside. They looked up from the tiles they were cleaning. “Follow me.” 

“Ok.” They took off without looking behind them. Tony had to hurry to catch up. “Hey, where’re we going?” 

“What’re we doing?”

They rounded a hall, and then another.

Tony really just wanted to talk to them, but they were trying very hard not to look interested. They stopped outside of a small wooden door. Pushing it open, they revealed a simple, small room. There were two single beds with matching nightstands. A flower was set on each. “You are to stay here. Your dinner will be provided.” 

“Thanks,” Tony said, which received a short huff and an angry gesture towards the room again. He stepped inside, only to have the door thrown shut behind him. He winced.

Sighing, Tony sat down on the bed. So much for making a friend. 

Tony stared at the open bed across from him. 

James was going to be a lot living with in such close quarters. Tony wasn’t sure that he could handle it. 

He had nothing to do, so he spent a good hour feeling every crack and crevice of the room, looking for things that would be useful or a way out. The door was locked, but Tony tried anyway. There was no window, but the room was bright. The lights in the room were made of what looked like enchanted butterflies, but they were too high up to reach.

The closet was full of clothing similar to what Tony was wearing, all in Thor’s colors. The bathroom was disappointingly utilitarian. 

Tony ended up sitting on the bed and meditating. He heard the door open a long while later, and the servant from before set down a tray stand. The tray they set on top had a pot of tea, two teacups, a loaf of bread, jam jars, and silverware. They left without looking at Tony or saying a word.

It wasn’t the most exciting dinner in the world. 

On the bright side, he wasn’t bickering with James. Tony drank the too sweet tea and had a slice of bread with blueberry jam. Time dragged on. He ended up falling asleep, and woke when the lights in the room had dimmed to a night setting. 

The tray of food was gone. 

James’s bed was empty too. Tony sat up and stretched, then pulled his feet up so he sat cross legged on the bed. He reached for the pendant around his neck. 

He traced his thumb over the star-like design in the middle. It was a very simple thing, but still beautiful in the way the metal had been worked. Tony sighed. 

He supposed that being kept in Thor’s home meant they’d avoided being eaten. Obviously, Thor would be far more inclined to hang out with James, which meant Tony had a lot of boring days to look forward to in the room. Maybe he could subtly remind Thor of Loki’s advice to give him books. 

Tony wondered what had happened to the other people. He knew he didn’t want to know, but it hurt all the same. He felt like he’d let them down. 

It may have been only a few minutes, or it may have been hours, but there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Tony tried.

The servant from before was there, with pinched lips and a deliberate effort to avoid looking directly at Tony. “Your presence has been requested.” 

Tony got up, finger combing his hair as he walked behind the servant. They lead him down a hallway and into a grand dining room where Thor and Loki were seated. 

Loki was twirling a glass of wine and acting like the whole thing was beneath him, leaning back in his chair with one foot slouched out in front of him. He didn’t look up. Thor did, an intense energy about him as he sat away from his food and stared at Tony. 

The servant gave a curt bow before leaving. Thor gestured towards the chair at the end of the table. 

Tony didn’t move to sit with them. 

“Where’s James?” 

Loki’s eyes flicked to Thor. 

Thor turned away from Tony, setting his jaw as he looked to Loki. Tony didn’t understand the wordless communication going between them, but he did understand that it wasn’t right for James to be missing. 

Tony’s heart began to pound. It thudded in his ears as his entire body wound tight. 

Loki set his glass down. It rang out in the room, a sharp, clear sound. “Tony,” he said slowly, almost mesmerizing. “The festival has ended. James is no longer here.” 

“No,” Tony said, taking a step back and shaking his head. “No.” 

“Sit,” Thor said.

“Tony,” Loki said, tugging at him with the name. “Thor will look after you. There will be little for you to do here, aside from dusting, if any are willing to release that task.” 

“You will be given books as you please,” Thor added. 

Loki was saying something else, but Tony couldn’t hear it. All he saw was being locked in the room day after day. And James was gone. 

He’d dreaded this moment coming, but now that it was here, he wasn’t ready. Loki and Thor were exchanging looks again and then Loki’s lips were moving. It didn’t matter.

Tony’s legs were moving before he realized it. He heard no one coming after him, but he didn’t stop to listen. He bolted down the hall.

Two servants standing and talking by a vase watched in curiosity but didn’t follow.

Tony started trying doors. There was a library and an armory and a supply closet and an empty room with a sand floor. He wasn’t getting closer to an exit. He went the opposite way and found himself stumbling into the kitchen. 

Tony tripped over a sack of potatoes and caught himself on the floor, dizzy. His heart thundered, but as he spun around, he saw that no one was in the kitchen. And then reality came crashing in.

Tony began to weep. 

Tears burned down his face. He hunched in on himself by the potato sack. 

James hadn’t been a bad kid. He hadn’t deserved to be eaten. He was just a kid, trying to find something good to enjoy in the world, and the last thing he’d done had been trying to help Tony. Even if it was in his own arrogant way, he’d been trying. He hadn’t wanted Tony to be…unhappy. 

A sob wracked out of Tony’s throat. He couldn’t have gotten up if he tried. His legs were wobbly and weak. His entire body was too heavy. 

Strange had never been optimistic about what would happen when Tony’s debt was called in. He’d told Tony he’d be lucky if there was one scenario among millions where he made it out just fine. Tony had told him he’d try anyway.

Tony thought of Peter and all the kids he wouldn’t be saving. He thought of Shield, and how it would crumble under another director. He needed to be there. Everyone depended on him. But he hadn’t even saved everyone here.

Tony leaned against the potato sack and tried to calm his breathing. It was a familiar habit.

He wiped his cheeks, but they didn’t stay dry. Tony’s sobs were silent now. He could hear again and didn’t feel on the verge of passing out. Tony set his chin on the potato sack and closed his eyes for a moment. 

It was only a heartbeat, but when he opened them, Loki was walking into the kitchen. His robe flared out from him as his boots quietly tapped along the ground. His eyebrows raised when he spotted Tony on the floor, but he masked his surprise quickly. Loki walked right up beside him.

“Here for my tears?” Tony spat out bitterly.

“I have no interest in _those_,” Loki said, leaning his hip against the counter and crossing his arms.

Tony blinked in confusion, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“Your fate is not such an unhappy one,” Loki said, studying a bronze tea kettle across the kitchen. “I find myself curious at the cause of your weeping.” 

“You ate James!” Tony exclaimed, pressing back against the potato sack in wide eyed pain and fear. New tears fell. He couldn’t see Loki anymore.

Tony felt something tug at his neck, then gasped as the pendant was shoved under his nose.

He blinked. 

Loki didn’t move the pendant until Tony coughed and pushed away. Then it swung against his neck, settling over his chest. 

Tony was acutely aware of its weight.

Loki’s face stayed close to his. Once more Tony was struck by how supernatural his green eyes were. “It will not serve you to dwell, will it? You cannot expect our world to change for you. It will never bow to appeal to your human sensibilities. Understand that being in my brother’s retinue is the best possible outcome in this situation. He is not so unkind as you imagine him to be. You ought to be more careful—he is not immune to wounded feelings.” 

Tony didn’t care. He pushed back against the potato sack to get more room, glowering at Loki. “If you’re just going to eat me, then get it over with!” 

Loki stared at him a moment longer, then tilted his head. “You fear I will eat you again.” Tony wasn’t sure if he heard a question in the phrase or not. “Can you not recall that you are to be in my brother’s retinue?” 

Loki rose, leaning against the counter and picking at his lacquered black nails. “I must remind myself of how prone to shock humans are. Ah, it would appear that I am not so immune to wounded feelings either.” 

Tony blinked, his wet lashes clumping in the motion. “Prince Loki, just—stop playing games with me. If you’re not going to let me go home, stop dragging out whatever this is before you eat me.” 

“Whatever this is,” Loki echoed. His eyes narrowed towards the tea kettle. “How he does despise me now that his companion is gone. How odd, for I only ever saw them bicker, and yet, it appears I have been the fool this whole time. What effort I’ve wasted.” Loki leaned away from the counter, and it was only when he was a few steps away that Tony realized he really was leaving. 

Tony was torn between being just as angry and running after him.

Loki shut the door behind himself. A few minutes passed, Tony’s rage and fear building, before he got up and ran to the door.

The hallway was empty. Tony tried to find his way back to the dining room, but it took several attempts down different hallways before he found it. Thor was sitting alone. 

Thor didn’t even look up. In a tired voice he said, “Will you sit this time?” 

Tony’s hand shook as he pulled out a chair, but he sat down. 

Tony didn’t speak, taking the time to calm himself and wipe his face, and Thor seemed to be giving him the time. He ate in silence. When he finally spoke, he acted as though he was just picking up the conversation where it had left off. 

“What occurred between you and my brother the first time he brought you to our realm?” 

“Nothing,” Tony said. 

Thor set his fork down. “Nothing!” Tony insisted. “I only saw him when he brought me around to those parties, and the rest of the time he was gone.” 

Thor chewed. Tony didn’t know what he’d been eating before, but whatever it was seemed to take a long time to get through. 

“We have many hunts, but my brother never shows any interest in them. He claims not to feel the same thrill.” Thor picked an apple off his plate. “And yet, when the hunt for this festival approached, this time he displayed uncharacteristic interest.” 

The apple crunched as Thor bit in, juice dripping down his chin. 

“I love my brother, but I am no fool to his tricks.” Thor took another bite. “I watched him the night of the hunt. There were many catches he could’ve taken that would have suited his usual tastes. He passed each one.” The apple was hardly anything but a core now. Thor took huge bites. 

“And then, as though on some cue, he pulled off from the pack.” 

Thor set down the apple stem and core. 

“I cast out in the direction of his target, and what did I find? You, a human he had _released_, saying he was troublesome. You cannot expect me to believe that was by chance.” For the first time since they’d begun speaking, Thor looked at Tony.

He had gold in his sky blue eyes, spun in them like filaments that only made him look wilder, like the sun soaked side of a coin where his brother was the other side. 

“What occurred between you and my brother the first time he brought you to our realm?” 

“He made a deal with me to bring me home if I owed him a favor.” 

Tony kicked himself as soon as he’d said it. He didn’t think he should’ve, but it was very hard to lie to Thor after he’d said that.

Thor nodded his head, looking down at his plate. “I see.” He lifted his head, staring at the wall in thought. 

“What are your feelings towards my brother?” 

Tony’s head spun. What answer did Thor want? “Look,” Tony said finally, holding up his hands. He bit back on a spitting out a nickname for Thor. “I just want to go home. If there’s something you want me to do and we can make a deal to do that and you let me go home, just tell me.” 

Tony could feel the mood in the room change, like static on the air, but he didn’t understand it. He couldn’t read Thor’s face.

“You have no feelings then?” 

Tony’s mouth dropped open. What did Thor know? Tony had no idea what fucking answer to give. He reached for the pendant on his chest, not even realizing he was doing it until his hand was on it with a nervous squeeze. “I—I don’t know.” The charge in the room surged. “I mean, I don’t know what to say, and I feel like there’s something you want me to say?” 

The charge settled a little. Tony bit his lip, uncomfortably reminded of the time he’d confronted Peter about school assignments he’d blown off to be Spiderman and Peter had said nearly the same thing.

“He left in a rather foul mood,” Thor said, sort of doing the same thing Loki did where he pretended to speak to himself. “I wonder what could have caused such a drastic change? It troubles me to see him unhappy.”

Thor turned to him.

If Tony kept chewing on his lip, the spot was going to swell.

“I suspected before, but now I am certain that my brother holds some interest in you.” Thor took a long inhale in. “I am unwilling to make a deal with you, and I have no need to keep you here or interest in sending you home if he loses that interest.” 

Tony was shocked. It was a threat, and he knew it. He just hadn’t expected it to come from Thor, especially not about his brother. Thor seemed more of an act first guy.

Thor was watching him, as if to see if he’d understood.

Tony realized he had nothing to lose by asking, and he had to know. “Why do you care what Loki thinks about me?” 

“I am not so skilled at keeping secrets,” Thor said. “You seem to be a clever mortal. I am certain you will figure it out soon enough.” 

Thor picked his drink up. “My brother has already delivered books to your room. If you cause any trouble and my brother is not here to punish you, I will in his place. Do you understand?” 

“Yeah.” 

Thor dismissed him, and Tony was only too happy to leave. 

He wandered back to his room, although this time no one guided him. The few servants he passed had no interest in speaking to him. When Tony got back to his room, he saw that Loki had indeed piled a stack of books onto what he’d thought was James’s bed.

For a brief moment, Tony was moved.

No, fuck that guy. It was his fault that everything had happened. Tony crawled into his bed and pulled the blankets up over his head, pointedly turning on his side away from the gift. 

He didn’t know how he was going to work his way out of this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to write up some soft, fluffy frostiron in the future separate from this story too. <3 Hang in there and be well, everyone.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony discovered fairly quickly that the door to his room was left unlocked, and no one seemed very interested in locking it. In fact, they didn’t seem interested in him at all.

Thor’s servants didn’t seem to care if Tony wandered the strange halls and rooms. They ignored him. Tony was free to poke at every crevice, but the place vexed him. The only metals were in the kitchens, and that seemed to be about the only place that anyone noticed him. The chef had chased him out after she’d caught Tony eyeing one of the metal teakettles.

No matter where Tony went, there was an abundance of plant life, and everything seemed to run on magic. Everyone seemed to be able to teleport in and out of the space. There was no door or window out of the place. It was a technological black hole.

Tony tried befriending the servant that brought his food, only to stare in shock one day as they lost their shit and told him off for thanking them. Tony didn’t really understand his faux pas until he started reading the books Loki had left.

Some books were short stories, which was how Tony learned thanking could be considered rude. There were many books on plants and animals. They were interesting, but none of it really seemed to help Tony understand the world any better. 

He was quickly getting bored. He’d been there for a week and had only seen Thor in passing once. So, when after the evening meal Tony heard a knock at the door, he was quite surprised. A fairy with long, pink dragonfly wings entered. 

Her narrow, pure black eyes sized him up quickly. “Prince Thor requests your presence.” 

Tony stared at her. She wasn’t familiar. Reluctantly, Tony got up. She extended her hand out. “I will take you there.” Tony huffed as he reached out for her hand. He hated that he lacked the tools to study the whole teleportation thing in depth.

They arrived on a large wooden deck. Lights were strung in the tree branches hanging above them, and the deck was filled with cushions scattered in no orderly fashion. Immediately, Tony spotted Loki. 

He was as far from the others on the decking as the seating allowed, looking morosely at his wine glass. Tony spotted Thor next, surrounded by several of his friends. Thor beamed as he noticed them. “Come sit,” he told Tony. “Everyone’s been wanting to see you.” 

Tony took a hesitant step towards Thor. He glanced back to see Loki watching him with some alarm, all of which vanished the moment their eyes met. Loki laid back against his cushion as though nothing was happening. 

Tony took in a deep breath and forced on his best Stark smile. “And I thought my playboy days were behind me.” 

No one seemed to understand the sentiment. The woman with long black hair sitting beside Thor quirked her head to the side with a sharp smile. “It’s a shame you keep him in a servant’s uniform, my prince.” 

“Oh, but you can’t blame our prince, can you, Sif? He’s caused enough of a stir already,” a blonde man purred. “Do sit by me,” he said, patting the cushion beside him.

“Fandral,” Sif complained. 

“He may sit where he likes,” Thor said. 

It was an obvious test to Tony’s ears. Luckily, it was an easy choice for Tony to make. He knew Thor’s friends would be expecting him to sit beside Thor, but Thor had implied he wanted Tony in Loki’s good graces, and that was where he wanted to be anyway. It was simple.

“I want to sit right here,” Tony said with a little more bravado than he felt, sidestepping a few open cushions and Fandral’s pout until he was at the one closest to Loki.

He sat with his back to Loki, only because that was where the cushion was, and Loki had practically boxed himself into the corner anyway. 

Sif made a soft huffing sound. “You’ve bewitched him,” she accused Loki. 

Tony felt Loki’s presence behind him, and the scent of Juniper mixed with red wine. “It is an insult to even suggest I would enchant my brother’s human.” 

“Indeed,” Thor agreed. “Mind your manners. My brother has done no such thing.” 

Sif mumbled an apology with surprise, her cheeks turning red. It left Tony with the impression that she wasn’t reprimanded often. Tony also saw his opening. “I’m a hundred percent enchantment free,” he said. “I just like Prince Loki.” 

Sif threw Thor a scandalized look, but Fandral’s laughter hid whatever she was saying to the prince. “What a cheeky one this one is!” Tony glanced at Thor. He looked sly and smug, so Tony didn’t worry. Thor approved.

“I am certain he does not mean it overshadows his love for my brother,” Loki said smoothly behind him. 

A man with a thick red beard exclaimed, “How peculiar!” 

“Careful, Volstagg,” Fandral warned. He glanced meaningly towards Thor and his friend immediately backpedaled. 

“I only mean to say that it is rare to find such a human, yes?” The others’ looks didn’t agree, but no one called him out on it. He grabbed a bunch of grapes and began eating those instead.

Fandral turned towards them on his cushion, his orange, narrow insect wings flaring. “Would you tell us about him, Prince Loki? We have been incredibly curious.” 

Tony couldn’t see the expression on Loki’s face, but he could see Thor’s reaction to it. There was a warning in it, and Tony bet there was something perfectly mischievous about Loki behind him. “And what,” Loki said, his wine spinning in his glass, “would you be so terribly curious about?” 

Tony did look back now and saw that Loki’s attention was on his glass, but there was a hint of a smirk on his lips. Tony turned to the crowd of Thor and his friends. 

Fandral was grinning too, a bit lasciviously. “Tell us about him from before, when he was yours?” 

“He was horribly obstinate,” Loki said. 

“One wonders what inspires such loyalty now,” a man that hadn’t spoken before said. 

Suddenly Loki’s sitting off by himself made a lot more sense. Tony’d known before that Thor’s friends didn’t exactly worship Loki the way they did Thor, but everything felt like a barb. “Because Prince Loki’s not a dick?” Tony said. 

As he spoke, he wan’t even sure why he was defending Loki. Maybe because Loki was his best shot home. “I mean yeah, he’s threatened to eat me more than once, but, I mean, I still don’t think he’s a dick.” 

There were several raised eyebrows and glances in Thor’s direction. Fandral broke the tension. “You’ve upset him, Hogun.” He pushed his lip out in a pout towards Tony, softening his voice. “We’re only curious about you.” Fuck, he was charming. Tony found himself relaxing. He’d overreacted. “Why, we’ve all seen you pining after one of our princes, and it’s no wonder we’re curious, no? I’m certain you do not mean to imply anything unflattering about either of our princes.” 

“I just—you were being mean—” Tony said, feeling drunk. “Sorry. I’m sorry—” He felt hands under his armpits, pulling him upright into a warm lap. 

“Ah, I’ve done it a bit too much,” Fandral said.

“Your glamour’s more than he can tolerate,” Loki reprimanded him. Tony’s head lolled back against Loki’s chest.

“He’ll recover in a moment,” Fandral said, indignant.

Sure enough, the drunk feeling seeped away, and Fandral looked the same as before. “I think it best to leave him be,” Thor said. “Mortals are quite frail, and that one especially. Perhaps we can speak of our next hunt?” 

The conversation shifted after that, but Tony didn’t miss the way that they studied him with long, surreptitious glances. To Tony’s surprise, Loki did not let go of him. Tony was held to his chest, and Loki rarely remarked as the others spoke. Tony made a skeptical huff when Volstagg bragged about one of his hunts, and Tony felt Loki’s chest seize with a silent laugh before he made a hushing sound beside Tony’s ear.

Time moved in the strange, winding way it had here. Tony started thinking of ways he could get to speak to Loki alone. The simplest excuse seemed the easiest. He turned back against Loki’s chest, looking up at him.

Loki glanced down, his sharp green eyes wary. “I have to go to the restroom,” Tony said. “Can you teleport me back to my room?” 

“That would be a servant’s task,” Loki informed him. “Unless, perhaps, I care for a walk and shall graciously bring you along on the way?” He stood, taking Tony with him. Loki was about to say something when he caught Thor’s eye and Thor waved them away with a happy glint in his eyes. 

They were standing on a garden path, suddenly. Loki pointed towards a wooden door. “We need to talk,” Tony said. 

“Ah. Here I was, generously allowing my brother’s charge an opportunity to relieve himself while I take my walk, and he thinks to make demands of a prince. It does get so tedious.” Loki picked at one of his nails.

“Fine,” Tony muttered, stepping away. 

He went through the door and used the restroom quickly, washing his hands and taking a moment to finesse what he wanted to say to Loki.

When he opened the door, Loki was standing there with his arms behind his back. He took a step forward. “If I were to go on my walk and hear what you wished to say, perhaps that would satisfy your desire to be heard?” 

“Sure,” Tony said. He had to hurry to keep with Loki’s pace through the tall hedges. “Look. I haven’t forgiven you for eating James. That’s not something I can do, but you’re not going to be sympathetic to that, and—”

“—Do I misremember your not being present? My, I do seem to think I took particular care to ensure that you were not there.” 

Tony stopped. “Why?” 

Loki gave him a long, pitying stare. “Just because I do not share your human sensibilities does not mean I do not understand them.” 

Tony stared back at him. 

Loki took a step forward, his long black robe trailing behind him. “Did you wish for my attention only to remind me of your morality?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. Loki was handful. He really didn’t know why he’d stuck up for him. “No. You—uh, do you know that Prince Thor wants me to befriend you?” 

Tony thought it was going to be a revelation, but Loki only tipped his head back with a sigh. He managed to make it look regal, even though the motion was petulant. “Though I thought it possible to keep his disinterest in you at first, when the entire kingdom sees the way you watch after me, he is bound to catch on.” 

Loki’s hair caught the inky reflection of one of the fluttering aubergine butterflies of light above them. “He keeps you as a means to have my attention,” Loki said. 

“Do you think that’s what he means when he says he can’t keep secrets and I’d figure it out?” 

Loki’s lips quirked with a smile. “He knows he cannot keep a secret,” he echoed, like that was deeply amusing. 

“He knew something was up,” Tony said. “When you went on the hunt. He said he noticed you’d been interested in going on the hunt, and he saw when you went off the pack. He went where you were going and found me.” 

Loki hissed in annoyance. “I had figured as much. What a disappointment it is to realize that my asking for my horse to be readied in advance tipped him off.” Loki brushed his hand against his robe. “He saves his genius solely for the hunts.” 

Tony clasped the pendant on his chest. It had become a nervous habit. “Ok, so if Thor’s keeping me to have your attention,” Tony said, heart beginning to race. “Then—why? Why’s he want it?” 

Loki went quiet, and at first Tony thought it was because he just wasn’t going to answer. “I suppose,” Loki said, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Tony, “he has realized he needs my hand to steady his negotiations with my kind, and with politics general, if I may flatter myself.” 

“Your kind?” 

“I have told you this is my adoptive realm,” Loki answered. “Thor is not my brother in blood, though he is more my brother than my own brothers in blood.” Several more of the glowing butterflies drifted overhead, Tony and Loki casting long shadows on the path. “Our realms exchange their first heirs as young children to maintain a political balance. Thor’s sister was exchanged for me.” 

“Do you miss them?” 

“No.” Loki glanced down at Tony with a raised eyebrow. “I am too like this realm for their taste, and likewise, Thor’s sister has taken after my native realm in a way that makes her too like them for Thor to miss her so.” 

It seemed incredibly lonely, but Tony didn’t point that out.

“Do you have siblings?” Loki asked.

Tony shook his head. “I was an only child.” 

“Ah.” 

“Hey, uh, this might be one of those things you want to punish me for,” Tony said, Loki’s eyes alighting with interest as he did. “But I’m going to ask it anyway—is that why Thor’s friends are jerks to you? Because you’re from a different realm?” 

“I am unlike them in many ways,” Loki answered. “And I will allow you to acknowledge that here while advising you to refrain from insulting them for your own sake before them.” 

“Thanks,” Tony said. He wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not as he did. He started to wonder if he should’ve said thanks at all when Loki spoke.

“It does in fact occur to me that you are in need of more books,” Loki said. 

Tony really didn’t want to read more about plants. “I mean,” he said. “If you’ve got something on magic, or—”

“—I am not fool enough to give you such a thing,” Loki said. “You seem the type to try a brash spell that would easily maim or kill you.” 

“Then some stories or something,” Tony said. At least that info could be useful. “I’m sick of reading about plants.” 

“Very well,” Loki said. “I’ll offer you several books of tales in exchange for something.” 

“Now you’re bargaining with them? What happened to them being free?” Tony exclaimed to Loki’s amusement. 

“I think you’ll find this simple enough,” Loki said. “I wish to have a little fun riling up Thor’s friends, and all you have to do is play along.” 

Suspicion sparked. Loki was far too excited by whatever it was, even as he tried to temper it. 

“Didn’t you just warn me not to insult them?” 

“This will place no fault on you.” 

“What do I have to do?” 

“Ah, but you only have to agree.” 

“Without you telling me what it is?” 

Loki shrugged. Despite how indifferent he acted, something gave away how badly he wanted Tony to agree. Tony couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He rolled his eyes and huffed. Loki had been careful enough with him so far, so he figured that this couldn’t be too bad. “Fine.” 

Loki stopped walking, so Tony did too. Tony didn’t flinch as Loki reached towards him, but instead glared in warning. It only made Loki’s smirk widen into a grin. He tousled Tony’s hair and ruffled his shirt collar. “Oh,” Tony said. “I see what this is.” 

If he found himself wishing there was some truth to it, that was a whole other thing.

“Yes,” Loki gloated. “I am perfectly within bounds to sate your poor human needs, but how they’ll have wished to have witnessed it.” 

“This is a very strange place,” Tony said absently. 

“You don’t know the half of it,” Loki said, pleased. He reached for Tony’s hand, and Tony found himself placing his warm palm in Loki’s cold one. 

As they arrived back, it was hard to miss the way Loki basked in the scandalized looks on everyone’s faces. Everyone except Thor, who seemed to find it typical and boring, and Fandral, who seemed both delighted and disappointed at once. Tony spent the rest of the evening on the cushion beside Loki. 

He watched the floating lights above them, admired the oddly shaped leaves in a tree that he could only identify from one of the books Loki had given him. He glanced sidelong at Loki. 

The price was snarking at something Fandral had said, his thin lips curling back. His eyes were painted black and gold. Everything about him was angular, except for the silky curtain of black hair that hung against his shoulders. His makeshift horns were gone tonight. 

Tony had thought that would make him look more down to earth, but it didn’t. 

Loki was as ethereal and mysterious as the strange world Tony found himself in.


	13. Chapter 13

A few days later, Tony went out to wander after breakfast as he normally did and noticed that everyone was hurrying around. Two fairies with cicada wings balancing a single large silver platter of seasoned and uncooked meat irritably made a circle around him as he stood gawking in the middle of the hall.

The activity seemed to be coming from the kitchen, but everyone that passed by was carrying something. They had armfuls of purple, silky fabrics, white lilies, and overstuffed bags. Tony figured it had to be another party or festival. He hadn’t managed to befriend anyone, so he had nothing to do but wait and see.

The activity carried through the abnormally short afternoon, and then as the evening lights turned on, everything seemed to go quiet and still.

The halls were uncomfortably silent. Usually there were at least a few others around, socializing or working. Now the rooms were darkened, lit only by glowing blue lights. It felt like no one was home.

Tony wavered between excited that everyone had left and weary of what was happening. He decided to use the time to try some of the rooms that he never seemed to be able to go to without someone blocking his way. 

Tony wandered down one of the halls, noticing how it got darker. He thought of turning back but reassured himself that it was fine. There was a grand, arched double door at the end of the hallway. The wood was carved with delicate patterns and inlaid with crystals. Usually it was closed. 

Tonight, however, Tony glimpsed that it was open. He saw nothing in the dark blue light trailing from the room, but the voices drifting from it stopped him.

“If he doesn’t return in five minutes, we are leaving,” a low, staccato male voice said. 

“Do give him time, would you?” A higher, electrified sort of female voice answered. “He has been gone but a moment, and I so have wished for the opportunity to speak to my brother in honor.” 

“Why, Hela? So he can bore us with tales of the little suneaters? They’ve filed his teeth.” 

“My, and I thought this was to be a diplomatic evening,” Loki’s dry voice answered. 

“See?” Hela answered sweetly. “He still has his bite. Dear, how fortunate that I—” Tony heard someone walking behind him and turned to see Thor.

He seemed relieved. In two steps he was in front of Tony, grabbing his shoulder, and suddenly they were back in Tony’s room. 

“My visitors will consider you the main course should they see you,” Thor said. Tony’s jaw set out of pure, protective reflex. “You must not be seen by them.” 

“Yeah, they’re uh, looking for you.” 

“You may leave this room once they’re gone,” Thor said. He vanished a second later. 

Tony stood still after Thor had left. Now that he was in his reasonably safe, cozy room, his back spasmed with a shiver as the voices of Thor’s guests played in his mind. They’d sounded cruel and vicious. Thor’s warning didn’t alleviate that feeling. 

Slowly, Tony sat down on his bed. 

His thoughts drifted to Loki. The prince didn’t really seem to have a fan anywhere. Except for, maybe, Thor, though Tony knew they didn’t always get along. 

He lifted his legs and folded them, leaning his elbows on his knees as he set his hands on his cheeks. He couldn’t tell if he was closer to getting home. He was usually so good at engineering his way out of a problem with tools and ingenuity. He wished instead that he had Natasha with him to pick apart the politics of the situation and social cues. 

Tony could probably do it, but sometimes he had too much heart, as Natasha had begun to tell him when he became Shield’s director. Natasha probably would’ve been able to figure out how the fairy realm worked. She’d probably tell him to maneuver Thor into a spot where he could trick the prince into sending him home. Or maybe she’d tell him to turn his sights on Loki. Maybe she’d tell Tony to seduce him.

Tony laughed at himself. That was probably his younger, more horny self coming through. Not Natasha.

Still, that didn’t stop the images of Loki in his mind. He was handsome, Tony couldn’t deny that. And dangerous. Tony hated himself for it, but he liked having the pendant on around his neck. Maybe Natasha would say he had Stockholm syndrome.

Natasha had also said he had textbook narcissism, so she could obviously be wrong about things. 

Tony glanced at the bed piled with books across from him.

James would tell him to get the stick out of his ass and just go for it already. Tony sighed. It hurt to think of James and that was probably all the more reason not to have any feelings for Loki.

Tony scratched his chest. As the pendant brushed his fingers, he knew it was already too late. Maybe he was just lonely. 

Tony flopped onto his back and tried not to think about it. 

But there wasn’t much else to think about. He was sure by this point that Steve or Sam were running Shield. Jarvis would’ve run all the protocols that Tony’d put in place for the day Loki returned. 

He fucking missed Jarvis. 

He couldn’t remake Jarvis here out of sticks and leaves and glitter.

Tony glowered at the ceiling. 

He couldn’t tell how much time had passed when he heard the door come open. Tony started to sit up, assuming it was Thor, only to see Loki slip inside and softly shut the door. 

Loki’s hair seemed longer, or maybe it was just that it was an inkier, shinier black. He wore a dark plum robe with silver stitching in a leafy vine pattern. His makeup was the same, though missing the usual green. What struck Tony most was how tired and somber he looked.

“My, what a quaint and tidy room you’ve made of this.” 

And just like that, Tony wasn’t feeling sorry for him anymore.

“Yeah, I was going to call in my interior designer, but they charge a massive cross-realm fee and I don’t have my credit card on me.” 

Loki smiled, amused as he walked further into the room. 

“Here,” Tony said, patting the bed beside him. “Have a seat.” 

Loki quirked his head at Tony, studying him as if looking for an insult. “You barely have room to walk,” Tony pointed out. There was just the narrow space between the beds and the wall.

Loki sighed like it was beneath him, turning towards the flowers in the vase. He surprised Tony by actually sitting down.

The mattress dipped with his weight like it was pulling Tony in towards him. The smell of sweetly flavored meat and wine from his dinner seemed to cling to Loki. “So,” Tony said, starting to feel a little awkward. 

Loki had been this close to him while they’d been with Thor’s friends, but as the events always happened, time dragged on longer than Tony could stay awake for and he’d awoken in his bed.

“What brings you here?” Tony tried. 

Loki considered it for a moment. “Thor tells me that it occurred to him that you may have been forgotten amongst all of today’s preparations for his guests. Of course, how fortunate, he saw me and remembered! Imagine,” Loki said, and suddenly the playful, almost forgetful tone took a turn that sent a startled spark down Tony’s spine, “what would have happened if you were an inquisitive human found to be eavesdropping by his guests?” 

Tony’s eyes went wide. He didn’t move. Belatedly, he _felt_ what a bad idea it had been. Loki saying it struck so much harder than Thor.

Loki tilted his head slightly. “I do believe Thor informed you that you would be the main course.” Tony nodded. “Tell me what you overheard.” 

The words sprang from Tony’s lips. “That Thor was gone so they wanted to go home, Hela wanted to talk to you, she said they filed your teeth and you said it was a diplomatic evening.” Something Tony had tried to hold back burst out. “And they said something about you and suneaters.” 

Tony was surprised by the relief that swept through Loki. It was uncomfortably similar to Thor’s. 

Loki’s expression softened, though he his stance was still stern. “Tony,” he said, leaning in slightly towards Tony’s stunned brown eyes. “I can see you are clever enough to know better, but never let my brother or any in this realm hear you say that word.” 

Tony nodded. “What’s it mean?” He dared, wondering if Loki would tell him.

“I’m certain you can surmise,” Loki said. “I’ve told you our realms trade their heirs. That’s not something realms with no animosity between them do, correct?” He seemed to feel that was more than enough because he quickly changed the subject. “And what of the books I brought you this week? Thor tells me you are aimlessly wandering the halls and getting in the way of his retinue.” 

“They’re—” Tony glanced towards them. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring at Loki so much until he looked away. “I mean—”

“—You would prefer I gifted you a book on magic, ah yes, how I remember.” 

“The stories don’t all make sense?” Tony tried. 

Loki frowned at him. “They make perfect sense.” 

“No?” 

“No,” Loki echoed. He sighed, looking up towards the ceiling, like Tony was incredibly amusing but also exhausting. “Well,” he said, brushing his hair back over his shoulder. “Perhaps I will happen upon something more suited to your liking the next time you wish to bargain.” 

“What about now?” Tony asked. Curiosity slipped into Loki’s gaze, and Tony found himself giving into a wave of impulse. He tilted his head to the side, eyes falling shut as he drew in towards Loki. His lips met the unexpected, soft but cold skin of Loki’s cheek. 

Loki let out a sound like he’d just been licked by a wet dog. “You cannot bargain your needs for more books,” he said, as if Tony was horribly dense.

Tony wasn’t prepared for the rejection that swept through him. “I’m not—I’m not _bargaining my needs_,” he spluttered out. “I kind of like you, and I’m not—you—you let everyone think you sated my needs,” Tony said in finger quotes, “the other night for Thor’s friends, so I don’t know why you’re disgusted by it now?” Tony stopped, realizing he sounded whiny and sore. Even if he meant every word.

Loki’s reaction was oddly pensive, and more thoughtful than Tony was comfortable with. It wasn’t what he was expecting to see. Not at all. “I find myself curious to hear the terms of what you wish for in your own astonishingly direct, human way.” 

Tony huffed. “I wanted to kiss you, and for you to kiss me back?” 

“For books,” Loki corrected him. 

Before he could say more Tony answered, “It’s not about the books. I just wanted to kiss you, alright? Jeez. Usually my one liners are great.” 

A slow smile crept across Loki’s lips. Tony almost thought Loki was mocking him and started to get defensive. “You simply wish to kiss me with no expectation of anything in return.” Tony nodded. “Then it is still sating your needs,” Loki answered, imitating Tony’s air quotes in an oddly smooth but still unknowing way that was endearing. 

“I just like you!” Tony exclaimed. He fucking felt like he was twelve. “Why are you smiling like that?!” 

“Because you like me,” Loki said, as if there was something that Tony didn’t get. 

“Is that weird?” Tony asked. 

Loki had to think about it, and Tony didn’t like the way he recognized that Loki’s eyes dimmed as he did. “Yes.” 

“Why?” 

“You’re human.” 

“So? James was a human and he had no problem with you fucking him.” 

“That was sating his needs,” Loki said, amusement creeping back into his voice. “Surely you understand?” Loki’s lips twitched, almost smiling. 

Tony’s forehead creased as stubborn determination set in. He genuinely couldn’t tell if Loki was fucking with him for his own amusement, or if it was just another culture thing about the realm he didn’t understand. 

He tried a question instead.

“Do you like me?” 

Loki chuckled, low and dark in his throat. “I do,” he said. “Why else would Thor dangle you before me? It would not work if I did not take interest in you.” 

“Oh.” Suddenly Tony wasn’t so worked up at all. “Alright.” 

Loki’s eyes were knowing. “You wish for me to kiss you.” Tony’s heart skyrocketed as Loki reached towards him, long, slender fingers gently sliding up his neck, circling the soft skin behind Tony’s ears. Loki tilted his head, his inky hair catching the light, the scent of wine greeting Tony. Then cool lips were on his, and Tony’s whole world spun. A searing hot tongue traced the outline of his lips before cold air greeted him and Loki’s hands were pulling away.

Tony blinked at him. 

He hadn’t expected to feel so _much_.

“You don’t seem as surprised as I thought you’d be,” Tony said, sort of mumbling in a daze.

“I do believe I’ve known,” Loki said. “The whole realm has known your feelings for me.” He smiled, though this time it didn’t look as sharp as it usually did. “I did not think you would be so bold as to say it.” He must’ve seen the uncertainty creep into Tony’s eyes because he explained, “It pleases me greatly to hear it.” 

Loki rose from the bed. “I know your intentions have not always been such, but I know a lie better than anyone.” He looked back at Tony, pleased. 

“Where are you going?” Tony’s chest strained at the thought of him going.

“I’m afraid Thor’s guests have not left, and I, unfortunately, must be joining them again before my absence is remarked upon.” He considered Tony for a moment, then returned to the bed, setting his hand on the back of Tony’s neck as he kissed his forehead. “What a fascinating mortal you are,” he muttered. 

Tony didn’t know why he blushed. It was an odd compliment in his mind, but it was clear Loki meant it.

Loki stood, taking a step towards the door. “Do take care not to eavesdrop again lest you become the evening meal, won’t you? I’d hate to have to share the experience of finding out what you taste like with everyone else.” 

Loki laughed. “I jest. I think it’s quite clear you’re not to be eaten, is it not? Ah, unless you wish to be? Oh. I thought not.” 

“That’s not funny.” 

“Mmm, perhaps. But it is the truth.” Loki smoothed the front of his robe. “Do be careful.” 

It was only after Loki left that Tony realized he’d missed the chance to point out the double entendre.

He brushed his fingers across his lips, relishing the spark of contentment that speed through him. He wondered if Natasha would say this was another one of his self-destructive impulses, or if she’d congratulate him on finally getting out there again.


	14. Chapter 14

A loud knock on the door startled Tony from a page on button mushrooms. He looked up, unsure if he should be thankful for the break in tedium.

One of the fairies that worked in the kitchen was there. He motioned for Tony to follow him. 

Tony had never spoken much with him before, but he always seemed laidback and content. It was odd to see him walk swiftly and rigidly. Something was upsetting him. As they got closer to one of the larger rooms, Tony understood why.

“How can I find the resolve to parse through page after finely crafted page? They are all so complex, so _difficult_,” Loki’s voice carried towards them, pouting and condescending at the same time. “Oh, I will be terribly exhausted after tonight’s soiree. I can’t begin to work on them.” 

As they entered the room, Tony saw that Loki was sprawled across a chaise lounge, monologuing towards the ceiling. Thor was seated in a winged armchair beside him. He had one hand on his temple like Loki was giving him a headache. He probably was. 

Thor nodded towards the fairy that had escorted Tony, who turned and left. 

“Loki,” Thor said, his voice aggravated and tired. “Will it alleviate some of the burden if you cannot attend tonight in full because you are watching over the mortal? I suppose he is frail and in need of attention. Could I ask your assistance? It would be a considerable relief to me if you would do so.” Thor rattled it all off with boredom, making it obvious he didn’t mean a word of it. “Perhaps you could find the energy to look through these scrolls tonight, then.”

Loki rolled onto his stomach, hair glinting in the light as he smiled at Thor. “There,” he practically purred. “Was that so terribly hard? Hmm?” His eyes fell shut and open in a slow blink, a smirk dancing on his lips. “Of course I shall find the time, then.” 

Loki propped himself up on his elbows, folding his hands together and setting his chin on top. He was grinning at Thor and obviously, deeply pleased with himself. Thor didn’t hide how exasperating it was. He nodded towards the door. 

Loki’s eyes lit up when he saw Tony.

“Only for tonight,” Thor warned Loki, but Loki was already getting up and taking light, excited steps towards Tony.

“Oh,” he said, stepping around behind Tony and grasping his wrists. Tony’s heart fluttered. “But I’ll need to dress him for the occasion first, won’t I?” He held out Tony’s arms. “We are princes, after all.” He wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist, holding him to his chest.

Loki’s chin hooked over his shoulder. Tony’s head spun. He wanted to sink into the coaxing feeling of it, but he was acutely aware of Thor watching. “I’ll take care of everything for him. You have much greater things to concern yourself with.” 

Thor looked away, but he didn’t seem cowed by it. Tony couldn’t tell if Loki was making a threat or if he was pandering. Thor leaned back in his chair. “You know you cannot bring him to every gathering.” 

“My, did I suggest such a thing? And here I thought I was relieving you of a duty. Perhaps I shall not offer next time, and if I find myself too tired to provide council and assistance…” 

Thor stood. He seemed to want to say more, and Tony couldn’t understand why he held back. Thor didn’t seem the type to. “You know I value your assistance,” Thor said. “I shall leave you to care for the mortal. As you say, I have other concerns to attend to.” 

“Of course,” Loki said, delighted again. He stood, his chin lifting away from Tony’s shoulder as his brother walked past them. “We shall be seeing you shortly.” 

Thor didn’t answer. Loki let go, but his hand slipped into Tony’s, and a moment later they were standing on a bridge. 

The sky was black. They were over water, though Tony couldn’t make out much past the faint, gray mist on the far horizon. The bridge was made of a pale wood covered in flecks of water and a grand metal railing on the sides. There were street lamps lining the bridge. The eerie light they cast created halos in the mist.

Loki drew a pouch from his robe. “Are the lights that fascinating?” He asked, pulling at a tie so the opening of the pouch loosened. 

“Just—thought I might see some rust on them, that’s all.” 

Loki’s eyes narrowed into a sharp, unkind glare. “They are perfectly maintained.” 

Tony breathed out, looking away. “I don’t mean anything bad by it, it’s just—it’s metal. And—” Tony glanced back to find Loki watching him in curiosity now. “—I thought iron was like a—you know.” Loki’s lips quirked in a smile. “Thing,” Tony said, disarmed by the mischievous glint in Loki’s eyes.

“Thing,” Loki echoed. He held the opening of the cloth pouch together, tilting his head. “And what _thing_ might that be, Tony?” 

“You know,” Tony said. “Right?” 

“My, I do so hope this is not your way of finally being coy, to bring up your quaint little contraption you aimed at me. It is almost as though you wish for me to remember that murderous event,” Loki said, toying with the silky fabric of the pouch.

“You—Prince Loki—” Tony said, a complaint in his voice. It only made Loki’s grin widen. He was animated tonight, and Tony didn’t know what to do with his almost giddy expressions. 

“You put iron in your contraption,” Loki said. There was a hint of a question and Tony nodded. “Because you think we are weak against iron.” 

“I mean—” Tony wanted to say Strange had told him so, and Strange did his research. It seemed silly, though. “That’s what stories say.” 

“Not our stories,” Loki corrected him. “Humans think we fear their creations. We do not.” 

Loki turned away, taking a step towards the railing. He was quiet for a moment, thinking, before humor returned to him.

“So you did make an effort to study our kind,” Loki said, nearly laughing. “And it was so terribly wrong, wasn’t it? Because humans know nothing of us.” Loki turned towards Tony, opening the pouch. “This is precisely why I warn you, Tony.” 

Loki reached into the pouch and withdrew a cube of meat. It was some sort of uncooked fish with silvery scales on one side of the red meat. Loki dropped it over the side of the bridge. “Do come see,” Loki said.

Tony was offended by Loki’s statement but curious enough to go to the edge. 

Dozens of tiny, gleaming little fish had gathered, biting at the meat. They were the size of minnows. Loki watched them with something like soft affection as he tossed cube after cube into the water. 

Tony didn’t want to ask, but he also did. “What are they?” 

“Fish.” 

Tony sighed. He didn’t know what he’d expected. Loki grinned back at him. He folded up the empty pouch, tucking it back in his robe as he swayed his hips in the step he took towards Tony. “Try not to look so put upon,” Loki said, holding Tony’s cheek. His thumb brushed Tony’s cheekbone, warmth trailing in its wake. “We have to get you ready for tonight, don’t we?” 

Tony hadn’t given any thought to whether or not he wanted to go. Now he wasn’t so sure. “You’re not going to put me in a costume again, are you?” 

“Would that be such a loathsome thing?” Loki sighed, letting go and stepping back. “No, tonight is rather formal. I shall find you some suitable robes.” He turned to start walking down the bridge.

Tony glanced back at the fish that were departing. The bridge seemed to stretch impossibly onward. “Where are we?” 

Loki turned and looked over his shoulder. “My home.” 

The bridge creaked as Tony stood there. Loki began walking again, and Tony hurried to follow. 

“This doesn’t—look like—” Tony paused. He remembered Loki’s house, but that had been five years ago. He’d never seen outside it. 

Loki chuckled as though he knew. Slowly, the bridge gave way to a black void. Loki stepped through and Tony’s heart startled to see him vanish through nothingness. It reeked of not-rightness. Loki’s body had simply seemed to dissipate against a wall. Physics weren’t meant to be defied like that. 

Tony had seen many odd, bizarre, mind boggling things in his life. It didn’t stop him from startling when he saw reality turn on its head. Tony clutched the pendant on his neck and brought it up to his nose. 

Just Loki’s head poked through, his neck floating. “Are you coming?” He was suddenly more alert, reaching forward and grabbing Tony’s wrist. Tony stumbled through. 

A wash of painful cold overcame him and vanished just as quickly. 

Tony drew in a deep long breath, soothed by the pendant. Loki tilted his head, but his smile was gone. Without a word, he directed Tony to sit down at a table.

Tony knew this table. He was sitting in the same chair as years before, and a memory came flooding back. 

_“I know how it feels to go to a party and feel like you’re entirely alone. That’s what it is, isn’t it? I’m your pet so that people will come up and talk to you—”_

_“I am not one of the golden. I am not held to some sense of honor as the rest you’ve encountered are. Do not provoke me.”_

_“You need a friend.”_

Tony stared at the empty chair across the table.

Loki had set out Tony’s breakfast there in the morning, on ceramic dishes painted with elegant monochromatic floral designs. Tony had known that Loki was lonely then. He’d forgotten that part though, when he went back home. 

Tony had prepared for Loki calling in his debt. That was what he always did. He prepared. He made plans. He created. But he’d forgotten speaking those words to Loki before.

Tony realized he’d been lost in his thoughts and turned, but Loki wasn’t there. Tony frowned at the floor. It had been piled with pillows when he’d stayed here. Now there was a low tea table with stacked books and a tufted couch. 

The curtain hung in the back of the room had to be hiding the void they’d materialized through. Tony had always thought it was Loki’s bedroom. 

Tony sighed, looking back where the pillows had been.

He remembered the pillows that had gone missing. When he’d gone back home, he’d still thought about Loki’s punishment before the crowd. The arousal that flooded through him at the memory had never faded. He hadn’t actually wanted to sleep with Loki then. But he’d liked the fantasy.

Tony looked back to the curtain. The memory of Loki sneering and turning away when Tony’d insinuated Loki wanted him floated back to him too.

As if on cue, Loki came out from the curtain, carrying a bundle of cloth. “Where did you go?” 

“My wardrobe,” Loki said, as if it should have been obvious.

“But we came in that way.” 

Loki’s eyes lit with amusement. “Should the door only go one way?” 

Tony gave him a dirty look, but it was missed as Loki laid a robe over the back of a chair beside Tony. “Will you dress yourself or should I?” 

“Oh, now I get to choose?” Tony asked. Loki didn’t seem impressed. Tony wanted him to be. He stood, grasping the hem of his oversized red tunic and gracefully pulling it over his head.

He wasn’t young anymore, but he’d always been fit. At least, before coming here. Without the lab and exercises to keep him fit, softness was returning to his features. 

Tony tried not to think about it as he used years of experience to make a strip-tease-not-strip-tease out of getting undressed. From the corner of his eye though, Loki only seemed amused.

Tony grabbed the robe. He took one look at it and the dozen ties attached to it to realize that he was going to need help. “Fine,” Tony grumbled. 

Loki took it from his hands, gently dropping it over Tony’s head before pulling and connecting ties in spots Tony hadn’t noticed. It was entirely too complicated. Tony couldn’t help but to notice that the robe was the same black that Loki wore, and not at all transparent or sensual.

“What kind of event is this?” Tony asked. 

“Political,” Loki said, taking the pendant from the front of Tony’s chest and dropping it inside his collar to be hidden underneath. “It will be quite boring to you.” 

“And you,” Tony said without thinking.

Loki glanced at him. “Not at all.” It was blatantly mischievous and Tony hated the way that was so damn arousing to him. 

Loki materialized a paint brush and pot of golden paint from the air, drawing lines on Tony’s cheekbones. The motion was utterly confident and precise. He pressed the lines with a sponge. Loki was so unbearably gentle about it. How? 

Tony looked up at him. Loki’s brow was furrowed as he fussed with the glittery paint on Tony’s cheeks. He was sure Loki was putting it on him the same way he put on his own. 

“Will you kiss me?” 

Loki’s hand stilled. Something puzzled was lurking in his expression as his vivid green eyes set on Tony. “Please?” Tony tried.

Loki considered him for a moment longer, then slowly bent down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

“Loki,” Tony complained, then instantly froze up. “Pri—Prince—Loki. Shit. Fuck. Sorry, I—” Loki set the paint down on the table, a somewhat smug smile on his lips. 

“That will be deserving of punishment, will it not?” Tony wasn't prepared for the delighted amusement in Loki’s eyes. “Do tell, was there something you were hoping for?” 

As Loki watched him, Tony realized it was a game. Loki was seeing if he’d play. Tony licked his lips. “Yeah.” 

“There’s no need to be shy,” Loki said, brushing a hand through his own hair. “You mortals are so wonderfully direct.” 

Tony’s heart began to pound. He’d just been thinking about it, so it was right at the top of his mind. “Spank me,” he said. “But without everybody—just us.” Tony felt young and dumb saying it, but also wonderfully alive. He wouldn’t admit how much the idea had become a turn on.

“Tomorrow,” Loki said. Tony’s mouth fell open. “If we are to attend this evening’s gathering and I am to finish reading the scrolls tonight, then you must wait for your punishment.” Tony figured that was enough time for him to overthink it and want to back out. He wanted to do it now before he did overthink.

“And,” Loki said, his voice lingering on the word. “I shall have to reprimand you for speaking so crudely.” 

“Hey!” 

Loki chuckled. “Was I not merciful?” He asked, setting a hand on his hip.

“I don’t know,” Tony answered. “You haven’t done it yet.” 

Loki broke into a full laugh then, a hint of fondness in his eyes as he glanced back at Tony. The change in Loki was startling when he was happy. Loki took a breath and it was already gone. “Come,” he said. “We did not have much time to begin with.” 

Tony found himself reaching for Loki’s hand, trying to suppress a smile as he did. 

As they appeared in the hall, Tony took one glance at the stiff attire and place settings and knew exactly what he was in for. It was going to be a very boring political evening indeed. 

But maybe spending time with Loki the day after was worth it.


	15. Chapter 15

Loki turned towards Tony, delight in his eyes. “You are to stay behind me,” Loki said, voice too low for others to hear. “And be sure to say you are looking for Thor if we become separated.” 

Tony glanced around the hall. Everyone was dressed in robes, though not all were in the nocturnal shades Loki had chosen for them. Especially not Thor. He stood out like a sore thumb in his pure gold robe, and it seemed he’d just spotted them as well. “We’ve got company,” Tony said.

Loki’s eyebrow quirked up. “Prince Thor,” Tony muttered when Loki didn’t seem to understand. At that, Loki turned to glance over his shoulder. 

Thor was storming over to them, but Loki was nothing but sunshine when he arrived. “Brother!” He exclaimed. “What a fine night it is. I’ve brought your charge, and we were just about to get something to drink. Would you care for something?” 

Thor leaned in with the quietest voice Tony’d ever heard out of him. “Change his robes.” 

Loki’s eyes widened, uncomfortably doe-like on an otherwise sharp and cunning face. “These are all that I had. There was no time to tailor him something anew, and I thought myself generous to loan him something of mine at such short notice.” He put a hand to his chest. “Is it not adequate?” 

“It is generous,” Thor ground out. “But look at the color. It will be the talk of the entire court. I am certain you did not intend for such a thing to happen.” 

Loki’s expression said he very much meant for that to happen, but he leaned his weight into one hip. “You know best,” he said, and as Loki turned towards Tony, he was struck with the impression that Loki had never thought he was going to get away with it anyway. Maybe he’d liked the thrill of trying. 

Loki’s hand brushed over Tony’s shoulder. He felt nothing, but suddenly his robes were crimson red with golden stitching. Loki had left a line of black trim on the bottom and sleeves. It seemed slightly petty.

“Will that do?” Loki asked. Thor nodded. Loki set a hand on Thor’s shoulder, leaning against him. “Where would I have been without your guidance? My, it is not like me to overlook a detail. I must be tired already.” 

Thor considered Loki for a moment. “Perhaps a meal will enliven you.” 

Loki’s shoulders slumped. It didn’t seem like the answer he’d wanted. “I suppose,” he said. He looped his arm around Thor’s stiff one, joining their elbows. “Shall we?” 

Tony followed from a few feet behind. He was reminded of walking behind the brothers in the garden. Tony noticed the looks he was being given. There was no way that no one else had seen him in the all black robes. Word would get around anyway.

Tony wondered about it. Was it Loki taking a jab at Thor? Had Loki just done it for the attention? Had Loki wanted Thor to call him out on it?

If Tony asked, would Loki explain it to him?

Tony wasn’t even sure he cared. It wasn’t his show, and he probably couldn’t do anything with the information anyway.

They stopped beside a richly set table. Loki put together a plate and handed it to Tony before casually turning back to Thor. “Do tell me you have something planned?” 

Thor sighed. “No.” 

“Ah. Well, that is a shame. There are so many opportunities tonight.” Loki plopped a cherry macaroon into his mouth. He licked his lips. “I intend to make a few.” 

Before Tony could even begin to wonder what that meant, a fairy with blue, fly-like eyes and long black claws approached them. She bowed low, and then began to make her introductions. The conversation ended so quickly that Tony didn’t realize she’d asked the princes to extend her lands and Loki had denied that until it was over. Loki had made it sound like he was doing her a favor by denying it.

In fact, it quickly became pretty apparent that the point of the evening was to petition the princes for various things, and Loki was so good at turning the requests around so that the person asking the question owed him or Thor something greater that Tony didn’t often realize it until the conversation was already over. Loki was incredibly good at it. Thor knew it too. His answers were clunkier and more open to negotiation, and he always threw it straight back to Loki to answer. Tony guessed that Thor was grateful to have Loki there.

Tony wasn’t sure why Loki wanted to leave early. He seemed to be having a wonderful time. 

Tony had many curious glances his way, but no one said anything to him. He did, however, notice Sif glowering in his direction anytime he spotted her. 

It felt like a long time before Loki pulled away from Thor, saying that Tony needed to eat.

When Loki gave him a glass of nectar to drink, Tony asked. “Do you see Sif?” 

“Yes?” Loki said, taking a large wine glass from a servant.

“She’s—staring at me.” 

“Yes. I rather think she’s enraged that you are not fawning over Thor.” 

“But wouldn’t that just create more competition for her?” 

Loki burst into a startled, glittering laugh. “No,” he said, calming himself with a sip of wine. 

“Doesn’t she like Prince Thor?” 

“Oh, yes.” Loki was smiling then, his eyes bright, but it was the kind of mischievous smile that made Tony want to stop asking. Thor appeared beside Loki. 

“He looks rather tired,” Thor said, nodding his head towards Tony. “May I impose on you the humble request to bring him home to rest? The speeches are soon to start and I believe it best if he is home before then.” 

“Of course,” Loki said warmly. “I shall bring him right away. Is there anything else you may need my assistance with this evening?” 

“Nothing that I have not already requested.” 

Loki nodded, grabbing Tony’s hand. A moment later they were in a study. It was unnervingly human-like, with arching stained glass windows, bookshelves, dozens of rugs on the floor, and a large oak table with comfortable winged chairs on both sides. There was a pile of scrolls in the middle of the table. “Thor knows I loathe the speeches,” Loki said. “He must be feeling especially charitable to warn me.” 

Tony set the too-sweet nectar glass on the table and flopped onto one of the couches nestled in the room instead. Thor might not have meant it, but Tony was tired. For all he knew, a whole day could’ve passed at the event. “So you like messing with people’s requests, but you hate hearing them give speeches?” 

“What a crass way to put it,” Loki complained, pulling out one of the winged chairs. He set his wine glass down, making himself comfortable in the chair. “The speeches are empty praise, followed by dancing and the usual like. I have no appetite for it.” 

“So Thor won’t be back for a while,” Tony said. 

“Indeed not,” Loki answered, reaching for one of the scrolls. 

“So you could punish me now,” Tony said, grinning.

Loki’s lips quirked, but he still snatched up one of the scrolls. “I must finish these tonight, and I do not think you will enjoy the punishment for interrupting that,” he said, spreading the scroll open on the table and summoning a dagger to tack it to the table with. 

“What if I had needs that had to be sated?” Tony asked, just to be difficult. 

Loki turned his head towards Tony, a smile dancing on his lips. “At your age? I should be surprised if you could sustain the means to have that need fulfilled long enough for me to assist with it.” 

“Wow. The guy that calls me mortal and lives in some sort of time paradox is accusing me of performance issues because of _age_.” 

“I carry my age well,” Loki preened. 

“So do I,” Tony retorted. Loki was grinning, and good humor looked good on him. His attention returned to the scroll, and Tony decided not to push. Instead, he started reading the spines of the books on the shelves. 

He selected one that sounded like it might have magic in it, then began spinning through the chapters. One of the pleasant surprises Tony had found in the realm was that every book appeared to be in English. Loki had explained it away as magic with a comment about how amusing it was to assume that he spoke English. 

The first book wasn’t a success. Loki didn’t say anything about Tony pulling the books off the shelves, and Tony knew that wouldn’t slip past him. It wasn’t a surprise to Tony that an overwhelming amount of the books were about plants and animals. 

Tony ended up falling asleep reading a book on fungus that contained a brief chapter on spells for their care. 

When he woke up, Thor was in the room. 

He was sitting across the table from Loki, and his lips were moving in an argument, but Tony could hear no sound. Loki was arguing too, gesturing at the scroll with one hand and holding his forehead with the other. 

Thor kept gesturing and Loki kept clutching his forehead as he read the scrolls again in response, pointing out something different each time with more irritation. Tony didn’t intend to, but he was groggy and drifted back off to sleep.

He awoke again in his bed and wondered if it had been a dream. 

Tony bathed and dressed before wandering out into the hallway. Walking Thor’s living space every morning had become a part of his daily routine. Tony had just finished his lap around the kitchens when he turned the corner and nearly collided with someone.

He looked up, going pale when he saw Sif smiling back at him. There were two fairies standing at attention behind her. One of them flared their wings with a nervous twitch. “I am about to join Thor for breakfast. How fortunate it is that I’ve found you. Let’s get you something to eat, yes? Come along.” 

Tony didn’t want to, but he had the distinct feeling he couldn’t say no, and Loki wasn’t here to help him. “Sure.” 

She nodded, and continued walking, expecting Tony to follow behind them. Tony was grateful that they didn’t have long to walk before they were brought onto the deck that they’d hung out on before. Thor wasn’t there. Tony sat down on one of the cushions, missing Thor for once. 

Sif sat down a few cushions away from him. She gave her servants a list of foods to bring, then turned to Tony with a small smile. “I am certain that Prince Thor will be glad to have you join us for breakfast. He has been pleased by your company.” 

Tony had the odd, uncomfortable feeling that it was a peace offering. He didn’t understand why. He stared at her, the breeze catching in his hair. 

Her smile was gentle. “His brother looked after you last night, didn’t he?” 

Tony immediately went to back Loki up. “Yeah. Thor asked him to help out and look after me because he had a lot to do.” 

She nodded. “I see.” She grasped her ankles where she sat crossed legged on the cushion. “How are you liking serving in Thor’s retinue?” 

“It’s great,” Tony lied. 

She smiled, and it was so genuine that Tony instantly knew she believed him. “Yes. You are incredibly lucky to have been caught by our prince.” She tugged at one of the flowers in her hair. “I am certain you must be unbelievably fond of him, as we all are.” 

Tony held back on an eye roll. He knew something was going on, and he didn’t want to guess. “Look,” he said. “I know you don’t like that I was hanging out with Prince Loki last night.” 

Her eyes vanished behind a slow blink. Tony couldn’t decide if he should or shouldn’t have said it. “I take no offense to Prince Loki kindly assisting his brother by looking after you.” 

“Shouldn’t you just be glad I’m not with Thor all the time?” 

“Why?” 

“Because you like him,” Tony said. 

Her expression didn’t change. Tony had expected some sort of shock or denial, but there was nothing. “How does that relate to you?” 

Tony believed the confusion in her voice, and he knew he wasn’t getting anywhere. He changed tactics. “Ok. Why don’t you just tell me why you were glaring daggers at me last night?” 

Her cheeks started to flush. “You are quite presumptive to think you have any right to question me.” Warning bells went off in Tony’s mind at her glare, and he’d never been happier to hear Thor’s voice in his life.

“Sif, why have you invited the mortal?” 

She spun around to face Thor, and Tony saw the surprise in Thor’s face. After a moment though, it turned to humor. “Has he upset you?” 

“He questioned me,” she answered primly.

“Yes, he is quite direct. My brother has been helping him to improve. What did you bring for lunch?” Thor asked, completely disinterested in both Tony and Sif’s being upset. 

As if on cue, her servants appeared and began setting out food. Tony was surprised when they set a plate of toast with red jam on it for him and a glass of wine. 

Tony noticed the strawberries in the bottom of the glass and felt his stomach drop. 

He drew in a slow, careful breath. That was easy enough to avoid, and as long as he ate some of the toast, he couldn’t be reprimanded for being rude. When Tony looked up, he didn’t know what he’d worried about. Thor and Sif were flirting, oblivious to him. 

Her servants stood behind them, and both seemed very set on not acknowledging Tony or anything else. He wondered if he could just get up and leave without too much fuss when Thor acknowledged him again. “Your robes yesterday were changed to my colors, weren’t they?” 

“Yeah,” Tony said, wishing he’d been paying attention to what they were saying. 

“Tell Lady Sif why that was.” 

Tony could lie on the spot. He just had to know what he was supposed to lie about, and he hadn’t figured Sif out. He decided to go with what Loki had said. “There wasn’t any time for a tailor, so Prince Loki found me a robe and had to change the colors.” 

“See,” Thor said, brushing a finger along the bridge of her nose. “I haven’t the time to see to all of his needs, and so I asked my brother.” 

“But everyone knows the mortal fawns after him,” she said, not at all placated. “It’s not right. He’s mortal. His heart should be for you.” 

Thor motioned his hand in a circle. Tony didn’t know what it meant until Sif’s servants reacted. One of them bowed. “My prince,” they said. “We will take our leave if it pleases you but are obliged to inform you that the mortal in your care has not finished his meal. Our lady does not wish to appear unaccommodating to his needs.” 

“I acknowledge your counsel.” 

They vanished a moment later. Thor turned to Tony with a warning look. “I don’t drink,” Tony protested. “I’m a recovering alcoholic. And there’re strawberries anyway, and I hate them.” 

Thor sighed as Sif looked scandalized. “Then have a bite of your bread and you may leave.” 

Tony held the toast up to his nose, taking a cautious whiff. It smelled like sugar. At least he was getting out of the damn strawberry wine. “Sif,” Thor said, a hand combing through her hair. “It does no harm for him to watch after my brother. He belongs to me. No wrongs have been committed.” 

“It is an insult,” she said, quieter. 

“You know how little brings my brother joy,” Thor said. “I have missed his counsel. Your nobility is honorable, but there is no need for you to be upset on my behalf over a mortal. Do think of how it pleases me to have my brother’s counsel.” 

That seemed to change everything for her. Her entire posture sagged as she leaned into Thor’s touch. “It pains me to see any insult against you.” 

“I know too well.” 

Tony shoved a bite of toast in his mouth and dropped the rest on his plate. “Bye,” he said, leaving a wide berth around where they were making out. He spit the bread out the moment he was out of sight. 

“Fucking nuts around here,” Tony muttered, wiping his mouth off. 

Tony hadn’t realized how tense Thor was around Loki until he’d seen Thor relaxed around Sif. Thor even looked better when he was happier. Tony hadn’t realized how shiny his golden hair was, or how muscular he was compared to everyone else in the realm. Maybe that was part of why he was so popular. 

In fact, Tony wasn’t sure why he hadn’t given Thor more attention before. It seemed silly now. He almost wanted to go back and see him—Tony gasped and clutched his stomach, falling to his knees. A cold sweat broke out. No. He was not supposed to feel love for Thor. 

He’d _promised_. 

“Son of a bitch,” Tony whispered, standing upright with a sway. The fucking toast. There had to have been strawberry in the jam on the toast. Tony hurried down the hall, sweating. He stopped the first person he could find, who happened to be the younger fairy from the kitchen the day before. “Prince Thor is busy and I’m sick. I need Prince Loki. Now. Please.” 

He looked Tony up and down once before disappearing. 

Tony could only hope he’d gone to fetch Loki as he stumbled back to his room.


	16. Chapter 16

Tony gasped, pushing one hand against his chest. The other held the pendant to his nose. 

It helped with anxiety, but it wasn’t doing a thing to stop the sheen of sweat on his skin. Tony hadn’t moved since sitting on his bed with his back against the wall.

Thor’s golden hair wouldn’t leave Tony’s brain alone. It kept replaying the shine. Tony wanted to run his fingers through and see how soft it was. _No._

Thor’s eyes. They were as clear blue and open as an early morning sky, with dazzling flecks of golden rays. _No._

His skin held the healthy glow of someone that saw the sun, and the way his muscles flexed beneath it. _No._

Each time it felt like being woken up, only to drift off again. Tony didn’t hear Loki enter the room or notice him until he stepped forward, causing Tony to startle.

Loki’s face was an eerily impassive mask. His eyes openly roamed over Tony, assessing. 

“Strawberries,” Tony said. “There were strawberries in the jam, or I don’t know, I didn’t drink anything—” Loki’s shoulders dropped. A little more life crept into his face. “I had to take a bite of the toast to leave, and it must’ve been strawberry—”

Loki’s chest rose in a long, slow inhale. “I was wondering when this would happen.” He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a vial.

“_When_ this would happen,” Tony exclaimed as Loki uncorked the vial.

“Yes.” He grabbed Tony’s chin and tipped the vial in his mouth, emptying all of it. Instantly, Tony felt better. He sagged against the wall. Loki’s thumb brushed over his chin. “Tell me who gave you toast.” 

“Sif.” 

Loki’s eyebrow quirked, almost with amusement. After a moment, he corked the vial and tucked it away. “What?” Tony demanded. 

“If I may be rather candid, I had expected it to come from one of Thor’s retinue.” 

“Excuse me?” 

Loki gave Tony an odd look. Tony sighed, wiping his forehead. “You expected what to come?” 

“Something flavored by strawberry in your one of your meals.” 

“I know that,” Tony said, exasperated. He tugged at his sweat soaked shirt, peeling it away from his chest and holding it open at the collar. “But what’s in the strawberries?” Tony glared. “I know it made me think about Thor. But—I promised you I wouldn’t—that’s what broke it, isn’t it?” 

Loki slowly nodded, looking delighted that Tony had figured it out.

“Is that what you gave James?” Tony accused. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. He didn’t need a drop of it.” Loki straightened his robe, running his tongue over his teeth. “Why did you see Sif this morning?” 

Tony stared at him. A bead of sweat fell from Tony’s ruffled hair, cascading down his cheek. The desire for Loki to comfort him struck him. He realized the pendant was still clutched in his hand.

This wasn’t a manufactured feeling.

Tony knew Loki hadn’t given him strawberry anything, and he wondered what it said about him and Loki that Loki hadn’t used it, and Tony hadn’t had it.

“It does tire me to ask twice,” Loki told the wall. 

“Sorry? _You’re_ tired? I look like I just ran fifteen miles.” Loki’s eyebrows flinched upwards. Tony huffed, sitting away from the wall. His back ached. He wasn’t young enough to do things like that anymore. Loki glanced back at him. There was a challenge in Tony’s eyes.

“My, he does appear to be rather churlish today.” 

“I think I have a right to be.” 

Loki sighed. “In your realm, perhaps,” he muttered, though it was unhappy and bitter. “Tell me why you saw Sif this morning,” Loki said, a little more heat in his voice. 

For the first time since Loki had appeared, Tony sensed he was upset, despite appearances. 

Tony ran a hand through his hair. “I was walking around and I ran into her,” Tony said, setting his hand on his knee. “She said come to breakfast and I—I felt like I couldn’t say no, you know?” Tony looked to him for confirmation.

Loki was watching him with an intense gaze. He seemed to realize after a moment that Tony wanted him to confirm. “Indeed you could not.” 

Tony nodded slightly. “So I—went. And her staff brought breakfast and Thor came and said I could leave if I ate a bite of the toast.” 

“Did anything else happen?” 

“Not really.” 

Loki’s expression said he knew that wasn’t everything, and Tony waited to be called out on it. Instead, Loki leaned away, looking towards a distance that wasn’t there like he was leaving. “If you go see them now, I’m a hundred percent positive you’re going to stumble across them having sex,” Tony said.

The confusion that flashed across Loki’s face was almost funny. Tony hadn’t seen that before. “You act as though that will be unusual?” Loki said, his voice lilting. 

“Woah. Okay. Just trying to spare your eyes and ears, but okay.”

A hint of a smile poked at Loki’s lips. “You are ever so fortunate that only I am here to hear that.” 

Tony smirked. He brushed a hand against his chin. “You’re not really going to pop in on them now, are you?” Loki pressed his lips together, as if debating how to respond to Tony. “I’m just going to say it. You’re all so blasé about sex that it weirds me out a bit, and that’s coming from a guy that’s been around a lot. You all have some strange attitudes towards it.” 

“So do you, for a species that is so close to death. Shouldn’t you be desperate to reproduce?” 

“Why? It won’t make _me_ live any longer.” 

A genuine laugh fell from Loki’s lips, warm and bright. As soon as it appeared it was gone though, his eyes falling to something dimmed and sober. 

He stepped forward, cupping Tony’s face in his hands. Tony’s spine tingled. He wanted so much more, and yet this simple thing was immensely comforting and intimate. Loki pressed softly against his skin. “Tony,” he said, a warning slipping into his voice. “When they find you trying, they will use gramarye without a second thought.”

_Like challenging Sif_, Tony thought to himself. 

“You may know that strawberries mask the taste, but that may not be enough to spare you. It wasn’t today.”

Loki bent forward at the waist, staring down into Tony’s soft brown eyes. Tony’s heart flipped. He didn’t know what to do with that or the feeling stirring in his chest. “How’d you find me?” Tony asked, trying for something casual. 

Loki watched him for a moment longer before letting go. Tony wished he hadn’t said it. He wished Loki’s hands were still on him. “I suspect you’ve ruined Bluebell’s week. His entire month, perhaps.” 

“Who?” 

“The kitchen porter,” Loki said. “Truly Tony, how have you not noticed who lives here? It is not so vast a retinue that you cannot remember.” 

“I know everyone’s faces!” Tony exclaimed. It pissed him off how chastised Loki could make him feel. “I just don’t know their names because they won’t talk to me.” 

Loki stared at him, quiet, like he was processing that. Tony couldn’t tell how he was feeling about it, but anytime Loki stopped to think about something, it caught Tony’s attention. “Yes,” Loki said finally. “Well. I must commend Bluebell for coming to me, knowing how he loathes to be involved in my affairs.” 

“What?” 

“He does not care for what I am,” Loki said nonchalantly. Tony scowled. “I will return soon. Perhaps you could bathe in that time?” 

“Are you saying I stink?” 

Loki started to smile. “I would never make such an observation so callously.” Tony started to shake his head in response as he felt himself smiling. Loki’s amusement was infectious. A moment later he was staring at an empty space. 

With a sigh, Tony stood. He needed a long shower. 

Tony scrubbed his hair. He’d bathed once already, but it helped to calm him. He felt the shaky after effects of an adrenaline high still.

Tony dipped down under the water, rinsing his hair and then sitting up again, wafts of steam rising in the air. A silhouette was standing in the steam. 

Tony screamed, splashing water towards it, only to see Loki emerge with soaking wet sleeves. He wrinkled his nose. His clothes instantly dried. “Come now before Thor changes his mind,” Loki said, extending his hand. 

“Changes his mind about what?” Tony asked, unusually self-conscious about being entirely naked with nothing but the illusion of steam rising off the bath water between them. 

Loki brushed his hair back over his shoulder. He was wearing a golden crown of autumn leaves now. “I have offered to discipline you for a week in my home so that you will learn that a mortal is not to question his dear paramour,” Loki said, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. Why did Tony suddenly feel like he was in trouble?

“Thor knows that’s BS though, right?” Tony asked. 

“Do enlighten me as to what that charming abbreviation is,” Loki drawled.

“Bullshit,” Tony said, sinking a little lower in the tub.

“Ah. How delightful.” Loki glanced at his nails. “The human accuses a prince of lying, how terribly endearing and wise. One wonders how he finds himself in such predicaments as slighting his prince’s paramour when he is so careful and eloquent with his tongue.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Sorry, ok? Just explain it to me in human terms, ok, Claudius?” 

“What name did you call me by?” 

“Prince Loki, it wasn’t disrespectful, okay? Okay, really, it wasn’t,” Tony said, holding up his hands. It was way too simple to strike that nerve. “I always give my friends nicknames, and well, it just—I just said it.” Tony said, looking away with a burn on his cheeks. 

Tony was shocked to hear Loki take a deep inhale beside him and quietly say, “Then perhaps you should be so bold as to use my title before any _nicknames_,” Loki said, as if it was a foreign word.

Tony couldn’t believe Loki was meeting him halfway. He stared at Loki then, the wonder clear on his face. Loki relaxed slightly, recognizing that.

“Thor may wish to have my assistance when his sister and my kind come to visit next week, and perhaps he thought upon that when I kindly offered to take you for a week.” 

“What’d Sif think of that?”

Loki’s lips quirked. It was the only tell that he was pleased by it. “What is there to think? It is the will of her princes.” 

Tony’s eyes widened.

When had Loki become such a lovable bastard?

“Do come,” Loki said, fighting off his own responding smile. “I do not wish for Thor to be maneuvered into changing his mind while we are still here.” 

Loki extended his hand.

Tony couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so self-conscious about being nude. Ever. It wasn’t as though Loki hadn’t seen it before. And yet, Tony still felt his heart begin to pound as he drew his hand from the water and offered it to Loki. 

Loki grasped it, and a moment later they were standing in his home.


	17. Chapter 17

Water pooled on the gray stone floor beneath Tony’s feet. He wrapped his arms around his chest, shivering. Loki summoned a towel and drew it around Tony’s shoulders. “I will show you to your room, and then you can finish your bath,” Loki said. 

Tony grasped the edge of the towel, wrapping it more securely around himself. He was shocked that Loki wasn’t complaining about the footprint puddles he was leaving as they walked. Loki stopped beside the curtain that lead out.

He set one hand on Tony’s shoulder. “I will teach you how to use this later,” he said. Then, his arm was around Tony, the other throwing back the curtain as he guided them through. They entered a long, winding hallway.

It was stunning, in its own, eerie way. Death cap mushrooms grew from the walls in clusters, though as Tony stared at them, he realized that wasn’t what they were. They were illuminated from the inside, their long stalks and broad caps too unlike a death cap mushroom, aside from the light they cast. They were spider’s silk mushrooms, kept by the fairies for their lighting purposes.

Maybe the books he’d been reading were useful after all.

The hallway itself was not built on level ground, but moved in slopes like a burrow. It was paved with light gray stones, and wooden blue doors lined the hall. At the far end, there was a pair of grand, black double doors with a large, golden crescent moon and floral motif painted on it. “Where’s that go to?” Tony asked, nodding towards the door.

“That would be my bedroom,” Loki said. He stopped about seven doors down from it and pulled open one of the blue doors. “This,” he said, ushering Tony inside, “will be your bedroom.” 

“This—this is my bedroom?” 

Tony had been to tropical getaways that cost thousands of dollars per night. He’d stayed in the greatest hotels in the world. He’d seen what the most lavish wealth could buy. Nothing had prepared him for this. 

Tony couldn’t even put his finger on what it was that stunned him about the room. It was massive, and stunningly beautiful. Long, spindling golden wires dropped down from the lofty ceiling with cages of spun gold in which silver moths of light fluttered. Models of golden planets and stars were on the black ceiling, moving in what Tony instinctively knew were faithful representations of how those celestial bodies were actually moving. 

The stone floors were laid out in a geometric pattern with veins of gold shaped into various insects throughout. Much of the furniture was done in smooth black fabrics. The massive bed at the center of the room had gray silk curtains drawn around it. Tony desperately wanted to explore.

“Yes,” Loki said, both impatient and slightly pleased. He ushered Tony towards one of the lacquered doors. 

What looked to be an underground hot spring was at the center of the room, steam floating up from the surface. “I’ll come fetch you when it is time to eat, yes?” 

“Yes,” Tony echoed. 

The room was amazing. The floor was laid with the same gray stonework as the hallway had been, but the walls were lined with cave formations and had jewels set into them. Hundreds of tiny glowing lights, floating in the air, lit the room. 

Tony belatedly looked back over his shoulder, only to see the main door shutting. There was a soft click as it set in the doorframe. 

Tony dropped the towel, walking with awe to the bath. He skimmed his hand along the water, marveling at the temperature. It was perfect. Tony lowered himself in. He sat on a ledge on the side. For a while, Tony was content to stare at it all. 

There was a stalagmite that had been flattened on the top with a dozen glass bottles stacked on it.Tony uncorked one of them. It smelled floral. He assumed they were soaps. Tony didn’t feel brave enough to try them yet. 

He was so excited to see everything else that he got out of the bath and dried himself off with one of the towels in a basket set by the door. 

Tony wandered into the main room. For a while he just stared up at the ceiling. The stars and planets reminded him of home.

He soon started to explore the other black doors. The room beside the bathroom was a dressing room. The racks for clothes were mostly empty, but there was a set of black robes that fit Tony. He dressed quickly, ignoring himself in the mirror, and put on the lone pair of pointed toe slippers. 

One room led to a study. The shelves were set with plants, and there was a table to study at. Papers and pens were set neatly upon it. Tony’s hand itched to draft and design.

Another room led to a dining space. There was a long table with a half dozen chairs around it. 

The room beside that had a soft floor of cushions. There didn’t seem to be much else.

Tony was just about to explore the next door when he heard the main door open. “I knew I’d find you looking through the rooms,” Loki said, amused. 

Tony spun around and started walking towards him. “Prince Loki.” He gestured at the room. “This is incredible. Aren’t you—” Tony hated that he was asking, but he was too curious. “Aren’t you worried they’ll see me in this and like, say something? Because I’m supposed to be here for punishment?” 

“They won’t be checking,” Loki answered. He was so sure of it, and Tony knew how carefully Loki considered everything, that Tony knew it was true. “Besides, the guest rooms are closer to my quarters, and it shall be easier for me to keep an eye on you here than in the servant’s quarters.” 

He smiled, and it was a little crooked. 

“I wish to show you how to use the door to reach the room you are more accustomed to.” Loki stepped out, Tony following down the hall. 

“What does your room look like?” Tony asked. He was desperate to know. If he was just in the guest quarters, then Loki’s room had to be on an entirely different level. 

“Perhaps,” Loki said, entertained, “if you are very, very good, I shall show you.” 

“Maybe you should punish me in there,” Tony suggested, hopeful. 

“I am in no mood to punish you today,” Loki answered. The unhappy sincerity in his voice surprised Tony. Loki didn’t linger on it. “I know you will wish to ask, and so I will reveal now that the door I am about to show you is set to what I allow. You will not be able to reach the bridge from it even if you try, and I strongly suggest you not walk across the bridge alone in any event.” 

“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Tony admitted. “I’m not really interested in going on that bridge alone.” Tony had sensed the danger there. Loki didn’t need to tell him about it. “But can I also use the door to get directly to my room, or your room, or does it always lead to the hall?” 

“It always leads to the hall.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I will it to be so for you,” Loki answered with a slight bit of pride. “The door is my creation.” 

“How’d you make it?” 

“That is more than a bit beyond your level of study,” Loki answered. Before Tony could ask about magic again, Loki held out his hand. “The operation is quite simple. You will simply think of where you wish the door to go, and you will be there. Give it a try.” 

“Sounds easy enough,” Tony said, taking a step towards the space. 

His foot sank into the black void. Tony stared at it. He’d done this before. He took another step forward, but nothing happened. 

Tony glanced back as he stepped out. Tony pretended he didn’t noticed that Loki seemed slightly disappointed. 

“Imagine the room and walk straight into it. It’s right on the other side,” Loki said. 

Tony tried. He pictured the room. He believed it was on the other side. But he just stepped into black, empty space and could go no further. 

“Why does it work when you’re with me?” Tony asked, frustrated.

“Because I’m telling it where we both are going.” 

Tony thought about that for a moment. “So could you tell it to send us to different places?” 

“Yes.” Loki set a hand on his shoulder and walked him through it. They were in the other room. “Now walk back through,” Loki said. 

It was the same result. 

“Let’s eat our meal,” Loki said. 

“But—but you showed me how, and I haven’t gotten through.” Tony didn’t realize he was bunching his hands together in frustration. The idea excited him. He hated that it wasn’t working. “Why?” 

Loki frowned slightly. “You cannot yet reconcile what you believe of what is with what it is.” 

“Huh?” 

Loki turned away, comfortably walking towards a set table. “I know you to be clever, and capable of creations such as that armor. You demonstrate a clear understanding of your realm and how it works, and by that, you are able to manipulate it to create. However, this realm does not play to the same rules. On some level, you understand that your passage through the door is possible, but on a deeper level, you understand that it defies what is possible on your realm, and thus you stand in your own way of passing through it.” 

Tony turned away from the door, looking uneasy. “So I can’t get through because I feel like I’m trying to believe in the tooth fairy.” 

Loki gave him an odd look. “Why do you mention them?” He asked slowly. 

“Because it’s like, when you’re a kid and your baby teeth come out, your parents tell you to put them under your pillow and the tooth fairy will come and take them and leave money behind. So you believe that, because you’re a kid. But really it’s your parents switching them out. So now it’s like, I know the trick, so I can’t believe in the original story.” 

Loki tilted his head. “That is a story your people tell their children?” 

“Yeah.” Tony scratched at his hair. “Why?” 

“It’s peculiar,” Loki said lightly. He nodded his head to the side, thinking. “Your analysis is incorrect.” He gestured towards the table, impatient for Tony to sit. “In this case, you believe your parents to be switching them out. Perhaps you saw them do it. Perhaps someone instructed you that such was the case. In any event, you accepted that as true. In doing so, you failed to understand that the being you had dismissed had in fact taken them.” 

Tony walked over to the table. “Okay. But I’ve seen it work now. Shouldn’t that be enough for it to work when I try?” 

Loki sat down in his chair and Tony sat across from him. Their food was already set out on the table. 

“You can try the door as much as you like,” Loki said. He picked up a fork and knife, cutting into a cooked fish. It was too large to be the same that they’d seen outside, but its silvery gleam and the head and tail reminded Tony of them. Tony had the same on his plate. 

“It’s magic, right?” Tony asked. Loki gave him a look like he was an idiot for asking the question. Tony grinned. “I thought you weren’t going to teach me magic.”

“Teaching you how to move through my home is hardly teaching you magic,” Loki dismissed him. Tony felt like he’d won.

Tony picked up his fork. He was much hungrier than he’d realized. “Why, uh, why do you want me to be able to get to this room?” 

“I favor this room, and I thought to save myself the trouble of transporting you as I do not wish for you to spend all of your time here in your room.” Loki glanced up at him. “You’ll find the other doors in the hallway are locked to you.” A knowing smile slid across his lips.

“Well, that saves me some disappointment.” 

Loki laughed. Tony took a bite of the smoky, spiced fish and tried not to look like a starving man as he immediately went for another bite. 

Loki could say whatever he liked. Teaching him about the door wasn’t just some convenience. Maybe Loki liked him even more than he’d thought. 

“What’s in them, though?” Tony asked, picking a bone out of the fish. 

Loki set down his wine glass. “An observatory, a dragon, a hill of ants, my garden, my favorite-guest rooms.” 

Tony glanced up. There was just a hint of a spark in Loki’s eyes. “Bullshit,” Tony challenged him.

Loki laughed, the sound rich and light. He sipped at his glass, pleased with himself. “You’ll never know otherwise.” 

“I bet they’re all just a bunch of dusty broom closets.” 

Loki smiled at that. Tony reached for one of the covered bowls on his plate. It was filled with cooked mushrooms and a vegetable he didn’t recognize. The taste was a little more earthy than he liked. Loki was eating it with gusto. 

Tony glanced around the room. “Who all lives here?” 

“Only me.” 

“You don’t have anyone that works for you?” Thor’s place was always buzzing with activity. It didn’t seem right for Loki’s not to be.

“No one who lives with me.” 

“Then—who cooked the food?” Tony didn’t think that Loki would’ve made it himself.

Loki set down his empty bowl and picked up the next, plucking off the lid to reveal a stew of root vegetables. “It was delivered from the same the kitchens you’re used to,” Loki said simply. “Magic takes care of a great deal of the tasks here. I do not require the same sized retinue that Thor has.” 

It seemed odd to Tony. He felt safe assuming the place was massive. He sincerely doubted Loki only lived in a burrow with one hallway and a few rooms. “So the servant’s rooms are empty?” 

“Yes.” Loki poked his spoon at a carrot. The long silver handle was detailed with leaf engravings. “Once I kept a greater retinue here, but they sided with my brother in a spat and I felt no desire for their return when it resolved.” 

Tony didn’t know what to say. Loki never volunteered information about himself. “What was it about?” Tony tried.

“Oh, I can hardly recall at this point,” Loki said. “I do find him so trying.” He ate a slice of a root with spiraling patterns in it.

“Well,” Tony said. “I’m—can I say I’m not going to miss being there, or is that too direct?” 

Loki paused. “I will allow it.” Tony couldn’t tell if he was being facetious or not.

Tony didn’t let himself laugh or roll his eyes, even though he wanted to. He’d never thought when he’d eaten the damn strawberry that this could be an outcome. “Do your plans always work out like this?” 

“I don’t know what ever you are referring to,” Loki said, pleased. He glanced at Tony. “But no.” 

“I guess that would get boring if they did.” 

“One might imagine that, but it is rarely the case.” 

“Yeah,” Tony said, thinking. “My plans don’t always work out either.” He set his fork down. “This place is incredible,” he said, still processing it. “You know, if you told me you had a hangar full of vintage cars here somewhere, I think I’d die.” 

“Vintage cars,” Loki echoed, uncertain.

“You know cars, right? The metal things we drive around in?” 

Loki nodded. “I’ve seen them.” 

“Have you ever ridden in one?” 

“No.” 

Tony picked up his cup. It was a smoky flavored tea. “You might like it. I mean, I don’t know if you have anything like racing here, but they go a hell of a lot faster than a horse. I kind of have a hobby of fixing them up.” 

“And you would die from them?” 

Tony huffed out a little laugh. “I’m saying like, I’d be so happy. That’s what I mean.” The tea wasn’t so bad. It was like a heavily watered down bourbon, not that Tony wanted to it to be. “I mean, I like to drive, especially up the coast on a weekend with the windows down, but I really love fixing them up. It’s fun to try and source all of the parts, and then sometimes when you put them together, they still don’t work right and you have to puzzle out why exactly. Sometimes I do all of the restoration work.” 

Tony set his cup down. Loki was watching him with something like intrigue in his expression. “Do you know a lot of human inventions?” 

“I can’t say I’ve taken a particular interest.” 

Tony shrugged. “Well, I’m an inventor. I could talk your ear off about any of them.” 

Tony expected Loki to agree that Tony was on his nerves, but he didn’t. He was curious. “I wish I could show you the internet. It’d amaze you.” 

Loki considered that for a moment, and then challenged Tony to describe it. Tony did, going off on different tangents with Loki. The food had long gone cold when Tony realized how entirely easily conversation came to them. 

Loki was also more curious about the human world’s inventions than Tony thought he would be. Tony didn’t want to get too hopeful, but he saw an opening. If he could entice Loki to bring him to the human world to ride a car, or see his lab…

When a quiet lull in the conversation finally came, Loki began setting their dishes on an empty tray. As soon as it was entirely filled, it vanished. “Does that go back to the kitchen?” Tony asked.

“Indeed it does.” 

Tony fought off a yawn, but Loki noticed. “It has gotten late, especially for a mortal that’s had a difficult morning.” 

“I can stay up,” Tony protested. Hanging out and chatting with Loki was the most fun he’d had in a long time. 

Loki shook his head. “I don’t wish for you to be exhausted tomorrow, and I am hungry. It is time for you to retire for the evening.” 

“But you just ate,” Tony argued. He looked to the wall, as if a clock would be there. He didn’t know how much time had passed. He never did. 

“Tony,” Loki said, a purr in his voice as he rose from the table. “Do you not wish to continue exploring your room? Why, I should be astounded if I do not wake to find you’ve mapped it tomorrow morning.” 

“Good point,” Tony said, standing up. 

He was tired. He just didn’t want to admit it.

Loki didn’t offer for him to try the door again. He set his arm on Tony’s shoulder and guided him through before letting go. Tony yawned behind his hand as they walked to his door. 

Loki stopped outside. Tony realized that it was goodnight. He turned around. “Hey, Prince Loki,” Tony said. “I don’t know how to express this exactly in a way that’s ok around here, but I am deeply appreciative of everything today.” 

“Well done,” Loki answered. The praise warmed Tony’s chest so much that it embarrassed him. “I will come to you in the morning to wake you for breakfast. Fare well tonight, Tony.” 

“You too,” Tony said, awkward. He turned and went inside his room. Loki was still standing outside when Tony shut the door. He listened, but no sound came through the door. 

Slowly, Tony walked out into the rest of the room. Loki was right. He did want to explore it. But the gorgeous bed in the middle was calling him. Tony pulled back the curtain and threw himself onto the softest bedsheets he’d ever felt. 

Tony woke to a soft, chiming sound. It was incredibly faint, but as Tony sat up in the silky sheets, he remembered that he was at Loki’s. Relief swept through him. He felt safer here.

Tony pushed back the bed curtain. The soft, twinkling sound was coming from the ceiling. Shooting stars shot through the constellations, ringing as they went. They were soothing. Tony sighed as he watched them, amazed. 

Maybe one day he’d design something like this that Jarvis could project on his bedroom ceiling. 

Tony rubbed his eyes. He sensed that it was very late at night. Tony got up from the bed. Now that he was awake, he wanted to explore again. 

In the last three rooms, Tony found a storage closet full of linens, another study, and a room with a few couches and chairs around a table. 

Tony yawned, stretching. He looked to the hallway door. 

Really, he was just curious whether or not Loki had locked it. 

Tony turned the handle. The door silently glided open. The soft glow of the spider’s silk mushrooms had turned to pale blue. The light caught little fragments of clear quartz in the stone, making them twinkle in the hall. 

Tony looked down towards Loki’s door, hopeful. His heart stopped. 

Before Loki’s doors stood a towering shadow, rising from the ground like a cedar tree, flaring before tampering upwards. Its height nearly reached the ceiling. Long, scalloped feathers extended from its head and rose and curled inwards like horns at the very top. Tony didn’t feel the scream that tore from his throat. He only realized that suddenly it was turning, two narrow, startling white eyes with small pupils setting on him. 

Tony couldn’t react. He just stood there, dimly aware that his throat hurt as stood rooted to the ground in terror.

The shadow collapsed like a light switching off. From it, Loki strode, walking towards Tony.

Tony reached for his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to be nice with this cliffhanger by having the reveal in there. 🤣  
I think I have a thing for magically enchanted ceilings in stories. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well and hanging in there! Take care. 💙


	18. Chapter 18

“Tony,” Loki’s voice cut in. “Tony. Tony, look at me.” 

“_Look at me_.”

Tony’s eyes moved of their own accord. 

Loki was calm. His lips were closed, and there was only a faint pinch in his eyebrows as he gazed patiently at Tony. 

Loki’s hand held his chin. Tony was dimly aware of the pressure.

“My necklace,” Tony said. “It’s gone. I took it off when I went to take a bath, and now I don’t have it—”

“—That’s alright.” 

Tony shook his head, his voice coming faster. “It’s gone. It’s gone. What if they throw it out when they clean? What if it’s not there anymore? I—I—” Talking was an old friend. Talking could get him out of things. “I need to go find it. Can we go get it? I—I don’t think I can—” 

Loki was picking him up off the floor, and Tony reacted on instinct. He flailed, kicking and punching, only to find that nothing grazed Loki. It was likely magic, but Tony didn’t stop struggling until Loki walked them through the door and dropped him on the couch beside his coffee table. Tony knocked books off to the floor in the motion. “Stay there,” Loki said absently, walking towards the sink.

Tony gasped for breath as he watched Loki pull open cabinets filled to the brims with tea tins and jars. Loki filled a kettle with water. It was the most mundane, ordinary thing. It was so strange. Loki wasn’t—he just looked so ordinary, not like—

Loki poured the boiling water into a tall mug and began rifling through the tins and bottles, measuring out various amounts and mixing them together. Loki stirred before tapping the spoon against the rim. It was so strange. So ordinary.

Tony’s arm cradled against his chest, clutching where the necklace was supposed to be as Loki approached. Tony flinched. “_Drink this_,” Loki said, handing him the mug and sitting down casually on the other end of the couch, as if Tony wasn’t still losing his shit. 

Tony sniffed the mug. It smelled an awful lot like the powder in the pendant, and Tony already felt a fraction calmer at the familiar scent. There was something balmy beneath it. Loki’s command was pressing at him. Tony took a sip. 

It was pungent and herbal. Tony wouldn’t have been able to stomach it regularly. He drank it as quickly as he could, his head clearing as his heart rate dropped and his muscles unclenched. 

Calm swept through him. 

Tony closed his eyes, taking in a long, deep breath. 

He stared at the bookshelves. A glowing moth was trapped in a glass bottle, making soft sounds as it tapped against the glass. 

Tony glanced to the side.

Loki had his elbow against the arm rest, his hand held beside his face as if he was debating whether or not to rest his chin on it. He seemed calm. Impassive, almost. Tony wasn’t sure. 

Tony bit his lip. 

“So,” Tony said. “What um—happened.” He grimaced at the bookshelves. 

Loki’s voice was unnaturally level. “What do you think happened?” 

“I don’t know,” Tony said, shrugging. “That’s why I’m asking.” Tony turned and looked over his shoulder. 

Loki’s gaze stayed on the bookshelves. His lips twitched. 

Loki set a hand on his knee, pensively running his fingers over it. “I needed to hunt.” He paused. “I did not expect you to wake when I came back.” 

“The stars on the ceiling were ringing,” Tony said. Loki glanced at him. There was uncertainty in his eyes. “So uh—that was also you, right?” Tony heart sped up. He could feel he drink kick back in, slowing it down. “Is that—” Tony had never felt like he was good at navigating uncomfortable conversations. And with Loki, the risk was higher. “—The real you?” 

Loki’s eyebrows twitched. Something condescending flashed across his face, and Tony was relieved at how familiar that was. “That is me, and this is me. I can be both, can I not? When would one cease to be me?” 

Tony shrugged. “I don’t know.” 

Loki seemed like he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to smile or not. Tony wasn’t sure if it was unkind.

“Do—does everyone here have—another form?” Every time Tony started to feel too awkward to ask, the drink would calm him down again and he’d feel like he could ask whatever he wanted in the world. 

“Most do.” Loki brushed a finger against his nose. 

Tony nodded. “What’s uh—what’s Thor’s then?” 

“A beast made of light,” Loki said. “His would be too painful for your human eyes to look at.” 

“Oh.” 

Tony wasn’t sure if he should be asking questions. He was curious, but he didn’t know what Loki wanted. He spoke to fill the quiet. “Why doesn’t everyone walk around in other forms then?” 

“They are too varied for that to be entirely feasible or practical at the events you are able to attend.” Loki sat up a little bit taller, uncrossing his legs. “It upsets you.” 

“I mean, I wasn’t prepared for it.” Tony squeezed his hands against the couch cushion. “I don’t know what I think about it.” Tony could feel the second his mouth started to get carried away. “I mean, I know a guy that transforms into an enormous green rage monster, and we’re still best friends.” 

“A monster,” Loki echoed. 

“I mean—really, he’s just a guy that’s been exposed to a ton of gamma radiation, not sure how the math works out on that, but it’s turned his skin green and his muscles huge, but just when he’s angry. The rest of the time he’s just a regular, human guy. So, I mean. I have context.” Tony squeezed his eyes shut. He shouldn’t be talking about Bruce or his life back home.

Loki seemed to be putting the pieces together, but Tony wasn’t sure how. Loki was obviously thinking hard, though. “So humans can transform?” 

“I mean, I can’t.” Tony looked at some of the miniature antlers set on another shelf. “Most people can’t. My friend’s uh, the only one in the world like that.” 

“An outsider.” 

Tony nodded his head a little. “Yeah. I guess.” 

“How are you feeling?” 

“Ok, I guess?” 

“No, from your medicine,” Loki said. 

“I mean, it’s working. So it is medicine?” 

Loki stood. Tony tensed as he walked to stand in front on him. He was so damn tall, looming over him like that. Tony’s mind jumped to the shadow. He felt the drink kick in. Loki bent down and pressed a finger against his cheek, drawing down Tony’s lower lid down. 

“You should sleep the rest off,” Loki said, letting go. 

“But I’m wide awake.” 

“I am fairly certain the sedative in that will draw you into sleep shortly. Come along, Tony. I do not wish to carry you.” Loki started towards the door, and Tony felt the retort die on his tongue. 

He followed after Loki, unsure. 

“I’ll retrieve your necklace tonight,” Loki said, setting a hand on Tony’s shoulder as he walked them through the door. “I need to stop by my brother’s anyway.” 

“What for?” 

“Nothing that concerns you,” Loki said smoothly. Tony wrapped his arms around his chest like he was about to shiver. “I will come and get you for breakfast in the morning, unless you can work out the door and meet me there yourself.” 

Tony glanced over at Loki. He still couldn’t read him. 

Loki pulled open Tony’s bedroom door. Tony took a hesitant step in. 

He paused in the middle of the room. He didn’t want to go to bed. Loki was still in the doorway. 

Tony didn’t know what was wrong with him. He wanted to ask Loki to stay. 

The room felt too big, and despite what he’d seen, Tony wanted Loki there with him. He didn’t feel entirely safe. Because of what he’d seen, even though he knew it was Loki. Even though he knew it made no sense to want Loki to comfort him for having seen Loki. 

Tony figured that was rather awful, and made himself walk to his bed. When he laid down, Loki shut the door. Tony stared where his silhouette had been. 

Loki had been right. He could feel the drink starting to knock him out, felt himself fall into dreams that were filled with Loki’s steady presence in the background, and interrupted by his shadowed figure again and again and again.


	19. Chapter 19

When Tony woke in the morning, the stars were gently chiming. He pulled back the silky gray curtain and looked up at them. 

Last night seemed far away. Tony knew what he’d seen, but as he stared at the ceiling, Loki’s demeanor stood out to him. He hadn’t seemed angry, or upset. Tony didn’t even think that Loki had planned for it. If anything, Tony thought Loki had been uncomfortable for Tony to have seen him. 

And, Tony realized, he felt grateful for how patient Loki had been with him. He’d been—kind. He’d handled it with grace, and Tony had needed that kindness. 

He wondered if Loki ate people like that. Not in his human form, but as a—shadow? Tony sighed, scratching his hair. He needed a shower. 

Tony bathed in the hot spring again. Going back to Thor’s was going to even harder after living in a space like this. For once, he was grateful for the strange way time moved in this place.

Tony wandered into the closet room again, only to find himself staring in surprise at the clothes that had been laid out for him. 

Loki had obviously filled the closet since the last time Tony had entered—there was an outfit laid out for each day of the week, and several sets of pajamas and lounge clothes included. Tony was surprised at how elaborate the robes were. These weren’t the staff uniforms he was used to wearing. These were—Tony didn’t want to say he was a prized pet. But he might’ve had a period in his life where he’d bought clothes for his lovers too. 

There’d always been a part of Tony when he was doing it who had desperately wanted to impress those people. To be on the other side of it—Tony wondered if any of those lovers had realized Tony had wanted to impress them. It seemed so transparent being on the receiving end.

Or was he just projecting that onto Loki?

For all he knew, it could be some cultural insult or faux pas not to outfit his brother’s mortal in splendid robes. Up was down sometimes in this place.

Either way, Tony decided he was glad to have them. He selected an emerald robe embroidered with golden peacocks and vines. He slid his feet into a much more comfortable pair of black slippers with a pattern of green stones on top. 

Tony glanced around his room and decided he’d rather try the door again. He wanted to impress Loki by walking right through it.

Loki found him twenty minutes later. Tony was pressing his hand against the black matter, muttering to himself theories on how it worked. He jumped when he heard Loki’s voice behind him. “Are you hungry?” 

“Sheesh! You know how to surprise a guy.” 

“It is hardly my fault if you are not listening.” Loki casually set an arm on Tony’s shoulder, guiding him through the door. Tony was disappointed by how quickly Loki let go, striding over to the table. 

A tray was already set upon it. Loki quickly set out the plates, getting irritated by one of them and setting it back on the tray. It vanished and returned just as he was finishing. This time it was filled with sweet pastries instead. “What was that about?” Tony asked, setting his hand on the back of his chair.

“They know you are staying here,” Loki grumbled. “Why they think you should eat precisely as I do when they feed you regularly is beyond me.” He nodded his head for Tony to sit.

Tony had the impression that whoever had set the tray out was either going to get an earful from Loki, or through Thor via Loki. 

Tony was just grateful to have the sweetbread for breakfast. With the smoky tea, he could almost pretend he was having coffee and a regular breakfast back home.

Loki was eating fish and what looked like black rice. 

“So,” Tony said, taking another sip of his tea. “What’s the plan for today?” 

A slow, delighted smile slid across Loki’s lips. “Oh, I’ve rather given some thought to that.” 

“I’m not sure whether to be turned on or scared by that,” Tony said, fighting a smile off his own face. The bastard’s smiles had a knack for being infectious.

“Why not both?” Loki answered, and it was so obviously playful that Tony had no choice but to let his smile show through. Loki set his tea down. “I do rather think it is time for your punishment. I’ve put it off long enough.” 

“Yes,” Tony breathed out. In the back of his mind he was amazed at what a quick turn on it was, after everything the night before. 

Loki raised an eyebrow. “Do finish your breakfast first. I should hardly consider it a punishment when you are so eager.” 

“Can’t I be eager?” 

“For a punishment?” 

Tony huffed. He wasn’t playing the game, obviously. He tried again. “I mean, I am so, so sorry, Prince Loki. Please spare me my punishment.” 

“Now you’re not being grateful for me kindly reprimanding you.” 

“Thanks for punishing me, but I’m not too excited about it?” 

Loki’s eyes flicked away, as if he was trying not to burst out laughing at Tony. “We shall have to work on your manners while you are here. It will do you no good to talk yourself into traps.” He paused, delight in his eyes. “Well, for any but me.” 

“Ha-ha,” Tony said, shooting Loki a dirty look. Sometimes he was starting to feel like it was ok to be daring with Loki. “You’re starting to make it sound like you’re actually going to be training me this week,” Tony complained, biting into another sweetbread. It was filled with blueberry jam.

“Of course I’m training you,” Loki said. “I promised my dear brother I would.” 

Tony looked up from his plate. Loki sounded like he was telling the truth. 

So it was a lie, and also, not a lie. Loki was lucky he enjoyed playing games. Tony’s head wanted to spin from them.

He thought about asking what happened when Loki visited Thor last night, but he knew he wouldn’t get a straight answer. 

“And what exactly do you plan to train me on?” Tony asked.

Loki sipped his drink, eyes glittering. Tony finished off the rest of his sweetbread, then sat back from the table, waiting. “Perhaps I should start by addressing that contrarian streak in you. Come along,” Loki said, standing and swiftly gathering their plates to set them back on the serving tray. “I can’t stand to see you salivate over your punishment so.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “I’m not salivating.” 

“Mhmm.” Loki started towards the door, and Tony followed, quick to slip in beside Loki to be brought through. Tony started to get excited, thinking they would go to Loki’s room, but Loki led the way to Tony’s instead. 

Loki walked to the bed, throwing back the curtain and wrinkling his nose at the unmade sheets. With a wave of his hand, they were in order again. Loki sat down. He patted the mattress beside him expectantly.

Tony surprised himself at how comfortable, how eager he was to join Loki. He craved Loki’s attention on him. 

Loki rolled his eyes when Tony sat down. “This is a punishment, Tony. I expect you to lay across my lap.” 

Tony frowned, then relaxed when he saw the hint of delight in Loki’s expression. Feeling a little more bold at the game, Tony said, “I thought I wasn’t supposed to be excited about my punishment.” 

“Doing as I say is being excited about it?” Loki asked haughtily, reaching for Tony. “One wonders if you forget you are speaking to a prince.” He said, dragging Tony across his lap with astonishing ease. 

Loki cold fingers curled around Tony’s warm neck. A shiver shot down his spine. 

He was holding his head above the sheets, acutely aware of his hips in Loki’s lap. Being in Loki’s hold flooded him with a dizzying adrenaline. He didn’t feel frightened, but he was acutely aware of the power that Loki wielded. It felt like jumping from a low cliffside into the water below. He knew he’d be fine, but the leap and the fall were still exhilarating. 

Loki’s hand trailed over Tony’s robe. “Your tears were delightful last time,” he said. “I wonder if they shall be as lovely today.” 

Tony tensed. “Yes,” Loki said. “I do intend to taste them.” 

“I hope that’s not all of me you’re intending to taste,” Tony leered. 

Loki’s hand hovered over him. “Are you suggesting I eat you?” 

Tony couldn’t tell by Loki’s voice if he was teasing or curious. “In a very non-literal way,” Tony said firmly. He heard a low chuckle, then the cold air greeting his bare ass when Loki drew up his robe. 

Goosebumps followed where Loki traced the curve of his ass, as if admiring it. Tony was holding his breath, waiting for it. He’d fantasized about this much, much more than he’d own up to. “You do remember what you are being punished for?” 

Tony’s eyes darted around the room. So much had happened that he wasn’t sure anymore. He remembered Loki asking him for what punishment he’d like. “Hey!” Tony exclaimed, lurching forward in pain when Loki pinched his ass. “That’s not—” He huffed as the pain faded, glaring at Loki.

There was nothing apologetic about the prince. “Forgetting my title,” Loki said. 

Right. How could Tony forget that? 

“And speaking coarsely,” Loki said, gently caressing the spot he’d just pinched. “And, now, forgetting why you are being punished in the first place.” 

“I’ve kind of had a busy couple days,” Tony argued. 

“Ah. And now I am afraid I must add refusal of responsibility.” 

“You don’t sound very sorry about it.” 

“Shall I add being disrespectful to it?” Loki asked, a daring purr in his voice. 

“No.” 

“Too late.” 

Tony let out a breath, smiling. It was ridiculous. Yet, he was having fun, somehow. 

“You are wonderfully stubborn,” Loki said. “It is a bit of a marvel, for a human.” A sharp blow landed on Tony’s ass. He kicked a leg in surprise, twisting in Loki’s lap. It was harder than he’d expected. “Would you care to count?” 

“Not really,” Tony admitted. 

Loki’s hand grazed over his skin. Anticipation shivered through Tony. “Then all I wish to hear from you is my name, with my proper title, until it is all you can say.” His hand settled, cupping Tony in an almost protective way. “Is that clear?” 

“Crystal.” 

“Ah!” Tony cried out as a succession of short smacks landed against him. His heart began to pound. It was exhilarating. Tony grasped the bed sheets, desperately wishing for more when they stopped. 

He heard nothing but his own quickened breath. 

Tony realized he’d closed his eyes. He blinked, acutely aware that he was lying in Loki’s lap. 

“You answered incorrectly.” 

Tony blinked. About what? Oh. Right. Loki wouldn’t understand what he’d meant. “Sorry, Prince Loki.” 

“That is an improvement.” 

Tony grinned when the next blow landed on his ass. Loki’s hand changed rhythm. Sometimes the full force of his hand would fall, other times Tony would hear the sound much more than he’d feel it. Tony had stopped flinching. He’d sunk down against the mattress, waiting for each one. 

Tony’s eyes had fallen shut. He was breathing harshly, and occasionally Loki’s fingers would massage against his neck, tracing the fragile vertebra there in contrast to the harsh hand on his bare skin. A heat chased Loki’s fingers now. Tony felt like he was radiating it.

Tony felt himself in Loki’s inescapable orbit, but powerful at the same time. Tony grasped at the sense of control it gave him. There was so little of it here. Suddenly, there was a soft voice. “Speak.” 

“Prince Loki,” Tony mumbled back. He wanted him. He wanted him, now. “Prince Loki—”

Loki had him pinned against the mattress on his back a moment later, crawling over Tony and fiercely kissing the corner of his eye. Tony gasped, letting out a sob. Loki’s hand on his shoulder tightened, the other grasping Tony’s head and tilting him up towards Loki. 

Loki’s tongue laved at the burning tears flowing down Tony’s face. Tony melted into it. He didn’t want it to stop. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had wanted him so much, so eagerly. Loki tilted his head, moving to the other side of Tony’s face, licking up his cheek. 

It could’ve felt silly, but instead it was so intense that Tony was lost in it. Loki was in every sense. Tony shuddered and gasped, more tears falling. Loki drank each one with an otherworldly fervor. Tony kept saying Loki’s name and title, desperate for that immense focus to stay on him.

Loki’s weight pinned Tony to the mattress. With each breath Tony felt his chest press back against Loki, and it was deeply comforting and safe when it should’ve been terrifying. 

Tony basked in the way that Loki’s movements slowed as Tony’s tears did, his fingers brushing Tony’s hair back from his face in a delicate, cherishing way. 

Loki’s hair slid against Tony’s jaw as he leaned up, his arms cradled around Tony’s head. Loki leaned off him, falling to the side and reaching inside of the front of Tony’s robe. He grasped Tony’s cock and Tony was suddenly aware of nothing but the the heat and pressure of Loki’s hand. In two strokes Tony was coming with a loud cry, clasping one hand to his mouth as he arched off the bed. 

Another tear escaped Tony’s eye. He didn’t realize until he felt Loki’s lips press to it. 

When Tony looked, Loki was making an expression as though he’d tasted something sour. Tony’s brain fog was so thick he debated if it was worth the effort to ask. 

His gaze dropped down to Loki’s hips instead. He’d been so lost in all of it that he hadn’t been thinking about—Tony’s stomach sank as he saw that Loki wasn’t hard at all. 

Had he—was he not attracted to him? Sure, he was older, but—

Loki must’ve understood, because he let out a light, amused breath, petting Tony’s hair. “I am perfectly pleased,” he said. “Though I find myself skeptical if you will retain this lesson or not.” 

“This lesson?” Tony breathed out. 

“What were you punished for, Tony?” 

“Not saying your name, and—something else.” Tony rolled off of his burning ass. It hurt so much more as his orgasm faded. “My ass hurts,” he grumbled. 

“You’ll heal,” Loki said, patting his head. 

Tony shook his head away. “Where’s the gel stuff you used last time?” 

Loki was quiet for a moment. When Tony looked back to him, Loki’s eyes were darker, that wild, unknown green supernaturally vivid again. “You have a good memory,” he observed. He started to sit up. “But I shall have to make some, and I should think you would owe me something for such a request.” 

Tony knew it was stupid to play this game. Loki had shown him that again and again, and yet he found himself asking anyway. “What would you like?” 

“Let me think on it,” Loki answered, more serious than Tony would’ve liked. Loki started to stand, but Tony grasped his robe. Tony’s heart ached at the thought of Loki leaving him alone.

“Where are you going?” 

“To get a cup of tea.” He studied Tony for a moment, tilting his head. “I will return in a few moments.” 

Tony relaxed. Something like surprise and maybe fondness appeared in Loki’s expression. “Tony,” he said, his voice quiet, an almost whisper. “Do you remember when you said you wished to please me?” Tony nodded. “Then,” Loki said, his voice softly lilting lower to a true whisper, “that is what I would like. For you to do.” 

“For the gel?” 

Loki was quiet for a moment. He shook his head very, very slightly. “For the gel,” he said, “I would like for you to dance for me tonight.” 

“Will anyone else be there?”

“No.” 

“Okay,” Tony said, starting to smile. He was good at strip teases. It was just that no one else had asked him to do one in ages. Loki rose from the bed. 

He dragged his fingers through Tony’s hair, thinking, before a soft smile appeared on his lips. As he turned to leave, Tony watched his lithe silhouette. 

He’d developed feelings for Loki. Even more than he’d thought. 

Tony wasn’t sure what to do with them, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to let them go.


	20. Chapter 20

Tony woke up feeling slightly dazed. He rubbed his eyes. Falling asleep hadn’t been a part of his plans, but with how intense things had been, it didn’t exactly surprise him.

Sitting up, Tony spotted a cup of tea on the nightstand. His heart skipped a beat when he saw his pendant was set beside it, the chain curled around the tea cup. 

Tony quickly drew it up over his head. He felt settled when its weight rested on his chest.

Tony held his hand over it, reaching for the tea instead. It had gone cold.

Curious, Tony felt behind him. He hadn’t felt any pain as he was sitting. 

His skin was slightly sticky and had a faint medicinal smell. Tony’s lips quirked. 

He wondered how long he had been out for. He wished Jarvis were there to show him the footage of Loki returning. Tony would’ve liked to see it. His gaze dropped to the bed spread. He missed Jarv.

Tony forced himself out of bed, stretching. He bathed again, picking out a black and gold robe with slippers before wandering out into the hall to find Loki. 

Tony glanced at the door. Maybe if he just walked through it without thinking too hard, it would work. Tony strode towards it, only to pause as he set his foot inside, afraid to slam it into the hard barrier he knew was there like always. 

Tony let out a sigh. He had nothing to work with but his own knowledge on the door, and the only thing he was sure of was that he was missing the knowledge that would make the door make perfect sense. 

He reached his hand through the black murk, letting it rest on the hard barrier beyond. It felt like concrete. 

He never balked at it when Loki walked him through, but alone it was daunting. Tony could lean his entire weight against it, but he could never go through.

What had Loki said? That it was about reconciling his belief? Tony breathed out a laugh. He’d tried to think through the whole thing before, to try and puzzle it out and feel the lay of the entire thing, in case there was a lever or something to let him through. But Loki had said it was about belief. 

Loki had been right. Tony was not going to be able to dupe himself into believing the wall wasn’t there. 

But maybe…

Tony walked to the middle of the hallway. He walked in circles a few times, trying to disorient himself before starting to walk backwards. He pointedly ignored the doorways, staring up at the ceiling to stay unsure. 

He fully expected to smack into a wall. He just didn’t know when.

Tony kept walking backwards, faster, tensed and bracing himself for the collision. But he didn’t know when. And he felt a cold twinge for a split second, but he moved just fast enough that he was already walking into a very familiar den. 

Tony let out a loud whoop, incredibly pleased with himself.

Tony had a moment to revel in his joy before he heard a chuckle behind him. 

Tony spun around to see Loki sitting on his couch, his tea cup held just before his mouth, a book in his lap. Loki’s eyes were dancing with delight and a little pride. “Finally figured it out, have you?” 

“Hell yeah!” Tony exclaimed, fueled by the look in Loki’s eyes. “I found a loophole.” 

“You walked backwards,” Loki said. “You found a method of duping your belief. Ah, it’s like watching a young magician work their first spell.” Loki obviously meant it to be demeaning, but it was so obvious to Tony that Loki was teasing him, and still pleased with him, that he didn’t even care. 

“So this means I get to learn magic now, right?” 

Loki shook with a laugh. “Using a door doesn’t qualify you for magical apprenticeship,” he drawled. 

“Worth a try,” Tony said, sitting down on the couch beside him. He wanted to run laps. Loki set his tea down. 

“Now is a fine time to work on your manners, though,” Loki said. He took the book from his lap, holding it out to Tony. “Here.” 

Tony looked at the cover. For once, he couldn’t read it. He pursed his lips and flipped open the book. He couldn’t make sense of the symbols in the writing system. Loki sighed beside him. “Now I can ask anything I like of you,” Loki said, nodding towards the book. 

“What?” 

“I gave it to you,” Loki said. “As a gift.” He smiled. “And now you are obligated to me.” 

Tony’s eyes grew wide. “But you just handed it to me!” Normally he hated being handed things, but Loki had somehow made himself into one of the few that were an exception to that rule. It felt even more like a betrayal.

Loki quirked an eyebrow. “Did you not accept it?” 

Tony held it back out to him. Loki’s entire expression soured. “You are ever so fortunate I began this by stating that it is practice for your manners that I wish you to have, and I am well aware of your ignorance. Do not give a gift back.” 

Tony’s heart kicked up a few beats. “But I can’t even read it. It’s clearly yours and you want it back.” 

“That has absolutely nothing to do with it,” Loki said. “Are you giving it back to me freely, with no obligation what so ever of any kind?” Tony nodded. “Then you should say so.” 

Tony drew in a deep breath. “Couldn’t you have let me be happy about the door for a little longer?” He complained. Loki let out a laugh. 

“Oh,” he said, reaching out to brush Tony’s hair back from his forehead, sending butterflies in Tony’s stomach, “what better time is there? Do try refusing the gift now.” Loki held the book towards Tony.

“Do I—get a hint or something?” 

“I just told you what to do,” Loki said, tone indignant. 

“But you didn’t tell me how to do it,” Tony argued. That won a slight quirk in Loki’s lips. “Fine. Uh—well I can’t say no thanks, right?” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“Then—I say I can’t accept? Just short, like that?” 

Loki sighed, setting the book down. “If you want to be punished for your rude callousness, then by all means. You do so love to be punished.” 

“Only when it’s fun,” Tony mumbled. 

“You need to be gracious about it,” Loki said. 

“Give me an example.” 

“Offer me the book.” 

Tony took it from the couch cushion and held it towards Loki. “Here. It’s a gift.” 

Loki set a hand on his chest. “Oh, what a gorgeous, rare find that book is! I must confess that I am incredibly fond of the author’s take on magical plant propagation theories. It would pain me to take such a valuable resource from you by accepting.” 

“I mean, I feel like you had a leg up there because you can read it,” Tony said flatly.

“Go on, try it.” 

“Prince Loki, I—” Tony looked back at him. He wanted to argue with Loki that he didn’t talk like that. He’d never been one to kiss ass. He hadn’t needed to. Usually he was listening to people kiss his ass. But—Loki was watching him, expectant but bewilderingly patient, as if he was waiting for Tony to impress him. Tony didn’t want to let Loki down. “I’m flattered by your offer, but it is too precious for me to accept.” 

“Wonderful.” 

“Really?” 

Loki smirked. “It is remarkably better than you’ve done before.” His voice was warm, but Tony got the impression that Loki wasn’t actually impressed. It felt slightly condescending, like Tony had just scraped by, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. “I find myself curious as to whether or not you find your needs are being met.” 

“My—” Tony squinted. He’d heard it often enough that he got what it was code for here, but he didn’t understand why Loki was asking. Unless—was toying with Tony a turn on for him? “I mean—I wouldn’t say no to sex, but—wait, is this a gift thing too? Are you testing me?” 

“No,” Loki said. “Your needs being met are not such an exchange.” Loki reached to touch Tony’s hair again, and Tony found his expression hard to read. “I can see your mind racing for why I ask. May I indulge you by confessing I find myself insulted at your gift’s refusal, practice or not, and I would find it satisfying to have you at my mercy?” 

Tony hated how the interest in Loki’s eyes was already making his cock stir. He folded his arms over his chest. “What exactly does that mean?” Loki smiled, dropping his shoulders and tilting his head slightly. Maybe it was meant to look friendly, but it only emphasized the predatory angles in Loki’s features. “I don’t want my ass smacked now. I just got over that.” 

“I won’t punish you.” 

Tony pursed his lips, thinking.

“Ah, I do recall how you have mentioned how I satisfied James the first night.” Tony blinked, defensiveness cropping up in him. “Perhaps—Tony, do you remind me because you wish to know how he felt?” 

Loki knew. Tony felt his cheeks burn. He wasn’t supposed to have been jealous of _that_, and Loki wasn’t supposed to have figured that out. 

Loki opened his arms invitingly. “If you do not wish it then very well, but I am in the mood to now, if you do.” 

Tony didn’t think. He didn’t want to allow himself to talk him out of it. Instead, Tony started to move towards Loki on the couch. Instantly, Loki had Tony sprawled against him, Tony’s back against his chest with his ear beside Loki’s chin. Loki’s hand was already inside his robe, wrapping around his cock. Tony was harder than he thought he should be already, and he only wanted more.

“Have you been waiting for this, Tony?” Loki purred beside his ear. Loki’s thumb slicked over the head, his nail pressing against the slit in a way that made Tony press back against Loki. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment. It was so much, all at once. “How long should I have this go on, hmm?” 

Loki pressed his lips to Tony’s ear, then took the soft shell between his teeth. Tony shivered. They left a heat in their wake as they pulled away and warm lips brushed behind his ear. He liked the prickling sensation of danger. Loki’s hand twisted around his cock, slicked by something. Tony shuddered out a breath.

He was clinging to Loki’s robes, Loki’s other hand pressed against his chest to hold him in place like an anchor. “What a waste for you to be at Thor’s everyday, when you could be so beautiful here.” Loki’s hand applied more pressure. It wasn’t gentle, not at all, and the powerful motion only made Tony melt into Loki’s orbit that much more. “We won’t tell him that though, will we, Tony?” 

Tony shook his head. His cheeks were on fire. Already his cock felt tight, over-pressured. He wanted to come and he’d barely been in Loki’s lap. “How fortunate I am that you are a stubborn little thing. I may find need to discipline you here more often.” Tony was overheating.

His hand picked up the pace. Loki felt like he was everywhere. Tony didn’t want him to stop talking. Loki’s hand felt downwards, cupping his balls. Tony let out a strangled moan. “Please.” Tony wriggled his hips as much as Loki would allow, desperate to be in his hold. “Prince Loki, _please_.” 

“Already?” Loki’s lips pressed to his ear as his voice dropped lower, close to a whisper. “But, Tony. I could keep this up for _days_.” 

“I—” Tony didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want it to stop, but he’d had no idea of how much it could be so quickly. The thought of more minutes made him want to sob, let alone days.

Loki hooked his chin over Tony’s shoulder. His hand dropped down Tony’s chest and settled in at the top of his pelvis. “Then, I won’t torture you, Tony.” The hand on his cock tugged once and Tony was coming with a shout, his head spinning, riding the high of it. 

He blinked, tears starting to form, Loki’s hand pressing down into the center of his pelvis as Tony watched in shock to see and feel himself grow hard again. Loki’s pale hand tugged down his deeply flushed cock and Tony came a second time, too surprised to feel it so intensely. 

“I am rather fond of that,” Loki murmured, tilting Tony against the couch so that he could lave at the tears on his cheeks, his arms wrapped around Tony. Loki licked his lips, pressing one hand down against the center of Tony’s chest over the pendant. “Lovely,” he muttered. 

Tony blinked up at him, his brown eyes rimmed with red from his tears. Loki brushed a finger against a clump of lashes, smiling indulgently. He looked at Tony like he was the center of the universe then, and Tony was more than a little lost in that sensation.

It took Tony a moment to put words together. “How’d you do that?” He finally asked, still winded. 

“Magic,” Loki answered, waving a very clean hand in the air. Tony felt his own body cleaned too.

“So—I definitely want to learn that magic.” 

Loki laughed, and it sounded so delighted that Tony found himself grinning, happy with himself and Loki. 

“I want to dress you in something new,” Loki said, tugging at Tony’s robes like he was going to take them off. Tony smiled, liking where that was going. There was a sharp bell sound. Tony thought he’d imagined it, but then Loki was sitting up, his hands straightening Tony’s robe.

Tony was pulled from the couch to the floor. “Kneel,” Loki said, voice sharper, the familiar distance back.

Tony leaned against the couch, sort of kneeling. He needed the couch to hold him up. He was exhausted.

Loki walked towards the center of the room, the horned golden crown from before appearing. He paused, and a moment later, the fairy with pink dragonfly wings from Thor’s appeared. 

She bowed to Loki. “Your highness, Prince Thor requests your council immediately in regards to a request received from your home kingdom.” 

“I will be there in a moment.” 

She bowed again, then vanished. Loki spun around, taking swift, tense steps towards Tony. “You may stay in this room and they shall bring your dinner if I am not back in time. Return to your room after dinner.” 

“Prince Loki, what’s wrong?” 

Loki’s gaze was already distracted, his mind elsewhere. “They should not have sent a request.” He paused, glancing over Tony. He must’ve not been pleased because he immediately marched over to the kitchen and hurriedly made a pot of tea. 

Tony watched, anxiety mounting. He didn't like that Loki was stressed. He didn’t think that ever boded well for anyone, but he felt especially unsure. 

And, he realized, he was put out that any of Loki’s time with him was being taken, no matter what the reason was. He was enjoying their time together. He wanted the full damn week to himself. He didn’t want Loki leaving him to go to Thor. 

“When will you be back?” 

“I think I have made it evident that I cannot answer such a question,” Loki answered, setting the pot of tea and a cup out on the coffee table beside Tony. “Do not eat or drink anything in the cabinets. You cannot gauge what is fit for human consumption. Drink this as it pleases you and await my return with my earlier instructions.” 

Tony knew he was feeling more put out by it than he should, but he was starting to feel pissed. “Wait.” Tony stood up, grabbing onto Loki’s robe as he pushed himself up on his toes and stole a kiss. “Come back soon.” 

Loki seemed slightly bewildered, or maybe amused, it was hard to tell. Still stressed, though. “Do try to behave yourself,” Loki finally decided, then vanished. 

Tony flopped down onto the couch and put his hands over his face.

He couldn’t believe he’d told Loki to come back like that. Wasn’t that clingy? He felt silly, and he still felt pissed. 

He really did want Loki to hurry back.


	21. Chapter 21

Dinner was brought for Tony, and as usual, no one made eye contact with him as they set it out, then vanished. Tony’s stomach churned. He didn’t think that was a good sign. Loki should’ve returned already.

He ate his dinner, then laid on the couch and continued to read books from Loki’s shelves. Someone came and took the tray. Tony wondered if that meant nothing would vanish without Loki’s magic.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, except that he was starting to fall asleep on the couch. He wasn’t sure why Loki had insisted that he go back to his room. Tony didn’t want to test him. Or maybe he just didn’t want to wake up with a sore neck. 

It took longer to disorient himself enough in the smaller room to trick himself into walking through the door. Tony was more exhausted than he thought. He fell right asleep in his own bed.

Tony woke to a dip in the bed and the scent of jasmine tea. His eyes flew open when he realized that it was Loki. 

Loki was holding a small tray with the tea and looking rather unhappy. He turned towards Tony as he sat up. A small, tired smile appeared on Loki’s lips.

“What happened?” 

“Nothing I wish to recount now,” Loki answered. He offered Tony one of the teacups. 

Tony started to accept it, then paused halfway. “Is this a gift?” 

“Look at you,” Loki said, a little light of happiness creeping into his somber expression. “Learning already.” He took Tony’s wrist, holding his hand still as he set the teacup in it. “This is only for my waking you.” 

Loki’s fingers brushed over his wrist as he let go, and Tony wished he’d linger. Loki set the tray on the nightstand, helping himself to a cup. Tony watched him as he sipped. Something had to be really wrong for Loki to want his company this much, right? 

Tony decided to drink the tea after a moment. It was incredibly delicate. Tony sighed. Sometimes the food here was so good that he worried he’d be miserable eating back home again. 

“So,” Tony said. “Anything you _want_ to talk about?” 

“Actually,” Loki said, setting his cup down on the tray. “I wish for you to dance for me.” 

“Ah.” A shit eating grin spread across Tony’s face. “I see.” Tony was no stranger to distracting himself through sex, and he liked that it appeared that Loki wasn’t either. “You know, we could just skip to the fun part, but I’m not opposed to putting on a show.” 

Loki rose from the bed, taking the cup from Tony’s hand and bending down towards him. His eyes were starting to fill with that wild, otherworldly presence. He set the cup down on the tray, not moving his gaze from Tony. “And what do you think is the _fun part_?” He asked, sending a shiver down Tony’s spine. 

“Uh—the sex at the end part—” Loki’s low, faintly manic laughter made him feel like he should’ve known better. Loki combed his fingers through Tony’s hair, cupping the back of Tony’s head in his hands. “Oh, Tony,” Loki breathed. “You have never danced in our realm.” 

Tony’s heart skipped a few beats as Loki’s hands slid down his arms and grasped his hands, gently pulling him from the bed. The moment his feet hit the floor, the room filled with a slow, eerie music that was unlike anything Tony had ever heard in his life. He didn’t recognize hardly any of the instruments, and the closest thing he could compare it to was a waltz. 

Loki’s arm wrapped around his waist, pulling Tony to his chest. He smelled like burnt wood and tart fruit. It was comforting though, to be held. Tony suddenly realized he’d been worried for Loki, but he was here, okay. 

Tony’s feet were moving on their own, he belatedly realized. He’d grasped Loki’s waist for balance. Loki’s fingers slid into his, holding one hand. Flecks of gold in Loki’s hair caught the light of the room. He grinned at Tony, and though it was sharp and dangerous, there was a fondness in his eyes that made Tony’s heart pool in his chest.

The stars on the ceiling gently chimed beneath the music, the golden lights on the ceiling dimming to a soft glow. “Why haven’t we danced before?” Tony wondered out loud, marveling at the smile that wouldn’t leave Loki’s lips, at the grace in his movement as he lead the dance.

“When were you mine to dance with?” Loki asked, spinning Tony around in a circle that made him dizzy and catching him against his chest again, Tony’s heart pounding. Tony wanted to swoon, almost giddy at it. “Can you imagine the scandal? Me, dancing with my brother’s catch?” 

Loki held Tony closer for a moment, so Tony could almost feel Loki’s heart pounding against his own. “That would’ve resulted in my punishment,” Loki muttered beside his ear. Tony wanted to grab him and pull him closer as Loki leaned back, setting a hand on Tony’s waist as the other held his hand.

“Can’t—” Tony said, finding that he was a little breathless, “have you stealing my spotlight. Getting punished is sort of my thing.” 

Loki laughed, real, and bright, and captivating. “Of course, Tony. I won’t steal that from you, you darling little thing.” 

Tony blinked at the nickname, startled by how much he coveted it.

He liked, no he loved Loki doting on him. He soaked it up like a dry sponge. Loki’s eyes turned warm and knowing as Tony felt his cheeks flush. “Good,” Tony forced out, like he’d truly won something.

Loki’s pleasure at that only made Tony feel weaker. His gaze didn’t leave Tony, even as he spun Tony around in another circle and dipped him before pulling him close again, Tony gasping and smiling. Tony couldn’t understand it. Had anyone ever looked at him the way Loki did, as if Tony was the most precious sight he’d ever held? 

“Prince Loki,” Tony breathed out, unsure of what he wanted to say. He was smiling though, and riding the high of the dance. “I—you—” Tony glanced down, surprised at his own bashfulness. It was then that he got a glimpse of his bare foot, bloody. Tony’s face blanched. 

“Prince Loki,” he said, voice reedy and starting to panic as he gawked at the blood on the floor. 

Loki sighed, stilling long enough to lean into Tony slightly and breathe in against his hair. “Mortals are so fragile,” he muttered, annoyed. The music vanished. Tony was staring wide-eyed at the floor. Just how much blood had he lost? It was in a trail everywhere they’d danced.

“Calm down, Tony,” Loki said in an anchoring voice. He hoisted Tony up into his arms, and Tony let out a shout when he saw how battered his toes were. They’d hardly been dancing. Sure, he was getting older, but he should’ve been able to handle a little dancing. “Tony,” Loki soothed, walking him to the bed and laying him down. “Stop looking.” 

“But—”

A finger pressed to his lip, the sharp edge of Loki’s nail grazing his nose as his finger pushed in. “Stop. I am going to bandage them, but I must fetch supplies first. Lay here and _do not look at them_.” Tony nodded slightly, just to show he understood. 

Loki vanished a second later, and Tony immediately tried to look, only to find himself unable. They didn’t hurt. Tony reached down, not looking at them. He could feel the cuts, and they weren’t too deep. When he pulled his hand back though, it was coated red. _What the fuck?_ Tony thought.

He couldn’t feel the pain. He also hadn’t realized he was panting and sweaty until now. Was it because he was starting to panic, or because he just hadn’t noticed? 

Loki returned, carrying a box filled with dozens of tiny vials, towels, bandages, a bowl, and a pitcher. He sighed when he saw Tony’s hand. “You’ve aggravated it,” Loki said, sitting down. 

“I kind of feel like that’s a minor point,” Tony grit out.

Loki took his leg in his lap, setting his foot over a shallow bowl that he poured water into. Tony could feel the chill of the water and Loki’s fingers washing the blood off, but he still couldn’t feel pain. “You’re angry,” Loki stated.

“Wouldn’t you be?” 

Tony wanted Loki to help him. He enjoyed the way Loki’s fingers moved on him, and he really hated himself right then for it. “I asked you to dance, and you agreed.” Loki spoke, his attention on Tony’s foot, his hair draped over his shoulder.

“How does that make _this_ okay?” Tony demanded, pointing to his feet with his bloodied hand. “You had to have noticed I was bleeding.” 

Loki’s jaw set. “It is not my fault you are so woefully fragile.” 

“When’d you notice?” Tony demanded. It had to have been the magic that kept him from feeling it, from noticing.

Loki grabbed a towel, drying off Tony’s foot with short but gentle movements. He said nothing as he took a bottle with a dropper and counted the drops on Tony’s skin. He rubbed it in before returning to grab a lotion and lathering Tony’s foot with it. Tony’s heart was pounding. As Loki began to wrap Tony’s foot in a bandage, he asked again. “When?” 

Loki grabbed Tony’s other foot, starting the process all over again. Tony’s fear and anger started to build. Loki’s face was utterly impassive, as though he had no thought in the world but the bandage he was now delicately wrapping around Tony’s foot. 

He finished, and Tony could finally, truly look down. He didn’t know what he’d find under the bandages and he wasn’t sure he wanted to look just yet.

Loki drew in a long, slow breath, his eyes down towards the bedspread. When he finished, his eyes snapped up, irate. “_Nothing_ loathsome or wrong has happened to you.” Tony opened his mouth to argue and Loki’s hand shot forward, grabbing his bloodied one and drawing it into the bowl. “You will know no difference when the bandage comes off.” 

Loki scrubbed the blood from Tony’s hand, his movements sensual and gentle in contrast to his caustic tone. “I have brought you into my home and cared for you. I ask one tiny indulgence of you, and then I am met with hatred. It astounds me. Never mind that I am a prince and unaccustomed to such cruel treatment, but I have gifted you with my favor many, many times over and asked for so little. What right to such scorn towards me do you have?” 

Loki got up from the bed, taking the box with him, the bloody water from the bowl sloshing onto the floor. “I have been a fool. Perhaps Thor did me a favor in catching him instead,” Loki said to himself, starting for the door. 

“Prince Loki!” Tony yelled after him.

“Hey! We need to talk about this! You know we don’t always understand each other. Don’t walk out—” The door clicked shut, the quiet, gentleness of it agonizing in contrast.

“Fuck.” 

Tony puffed up his cheeks as he blew air out.

So he’d definitely offended Loki, which was the one never-ever-do thing here. He was furious about his feet, and another glance around the bloodied room didn’t lessen that feeling at all. 

Tony folded his arms and fell back against the bed. He glared up at the canopy. Fucking great. This was just what he needed. Tony started to sit back up to see if any of the jasmine tea was left when the stars on the ceiling began to ring.

In a second they were all clamoring, like someone had taken thousands of bells and dropped them on the floor at the same time. Tony looked up to see them rocketing in all different directions.

A chill ran through Tony.

Were they ringing because Loki was upset? Tony bit his lip. He wasn’t sure why, but they reminded him of an alarm. Pissed or not, Tony probably needed to find Loki. He gingerly set one foot on the floor. It didn’t hurt. The stars started falling from the ceiling, golden spheres smacking into the stone and rolling in different directions.

Tony’s feet didn’t hurt at all as he started for the door, his anxiety over the state of the room propelling him forward. 

Tony was about to open the door handle when everything abruptly stopped. Tony froze. He glanced back to see the stars gently floating back up into their orbits. 

“What an unexpected surprise.” 

Loki’s voice, distant, in the hall somewhere. It was dull and derisive. Had Thor shown up?

“Unexpected times call for unexpected measures,” an electrified, sweetly sinister voice replied. Tony stopped breathing. He knew that voice. She was standing much closer to the door than Loki. 

“Do share, Hela,” Loki said, coming closer. “I find myself most curious as to what you’re hoping to achieve through such an—unorthodox visit.” 

“Oh Loki,” she crooned back, voice far too close for Tony’s comfort. “Surely you can excuse my rather rude arrival? I’ll admit that it’s rude, but how else am I to speak to you alone? You’re the only one that understands what it’s like to be in my position. Will you grant me the kindness to hear my plea, one borrowed heir to another?” 

Her voice was unbearably sweet, and Tony was starting to shake. He knew he had to get back across the room and away from her, but he had nothing to defend himself with, and as on edge as he was, he also needed to know what was going on.

“Dear, surely you have wished to speak to me alone as well?” Tony held his breath again. She was so close. “Loki—my, oh, what _is_ that smell?” Tony’s eyes went wide.

“Nothing but the remains of a meal,” Loki dismissed her, slightly closer now. “Perhaps we should speak in my study—”

“—Of course, darling, but do let me see this. I am so curious what you’re feeding on these days. Do they feed you well here? I’ve always wondered.” 

Tony had no time to react before the door was pushed open.


	22. Chapter 22

Tony stumbled backwards, staying on his feet by nothing short of a miracle. 

A woman stood in the doorframe, the smile in her eyes wicked and dangerous. She was much taller than Tony and had a muscular figure. Her straight blond hair ended at her shoulders over a black robe. The resemblance to Thor was unmistakable.

Her sky blue eyes were undoubtedly cruel, however, and Tony was frozen in fear as she took a step towards him. “There he is,” she cooed, slinking around Tony lightning fast and wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.

Tony’s muscles locked up. His eyes darted to the doorway, where Loki was standing. He was trying so hard to look indifferent, but Tony could see the panic in his eyes. It made his own worse.

“Don’t keep my meal from me, Hela,” he said coldly. “Let him go so I may show you to my study.” 

“Oh, Loki. Don’t play those games with me,” Hela answered. “I know _exactly_ who this little mortal is.” 

Tony didn’t know that his heart could pound harder. He was lightheaded. 

“And who is that,” Loki asked, glancing down at his nails.

“I told you not to play games,” Hela said with such vitriol that Tony gasped in a breath. Loki’s eyes snapped back to them. Hela’s voice turned sickly sweet again. “You know, such lovely, amusing gossip made its way back after the suneaters’ silly little festival about a mortal that was pining after you. You!” 

Hela laughed, her chest shaking against Tony’s back as her breath grazed across his hair. “And then Thor kept the little beast, and how many suspected it was to win your favor? I have to say Loki, they have filed your teeth down to the roots. Look at how soft you’ve become.” She stroked the side of Tony’s face. He clenched his jaw. “Keeping a mortal,” she said with disgust.

“You presume much,” Loki drawled. “I have taken him to train for my brother, nothing more.” Tony believed Loki as he was saying it. Loki exuded so much indifference that Tony’s heart hurt.

“I thought he was your meal,” Hela pouted.

Loki drew in a long, deep breath. “Do remind me why you came here again. I find myself forgetting.” 

“You’ve refused to give me what I want,” Hela said, as if it was obvious. “So I’m taking your little pet.” Tony broke out in a cold sweat.

Loki rolled his eyes. “He is not mine to be taken from. As I told you, he belongs to Thor.” 

“So you wouldn’t mind?” Hela asked, grasping Tony’s jaw and yanking at his very stiff neck as she tried to move his head side to side. Panic was clouding his mind.

“Only in the sense that it will be an insult against my brother.” 

“Wait!” Tony exclaimed. 

He was gasping for breath now, and he didn't know who was lying and who was telling the truth now. He’d offended Loki. Maybe he really was done with him. “I—Prince Thor made a deal with me that he’d send me home if I played along with Loki, and if you take me, you’ll be breaking the deal.” 

It was bullshit. It wasn’t even good bullshit, but Hela’s eyes twinkled all the same. She leaned in, her lips a fraction from Tony’s cheek, eyes too electric, too intense up close. “You want to go home.” 

Tony nodded slightly.

“Did you hear that, Loki? He wants to go home, never mind that little lie there.” 

Loki had leaned off the doorframe, but his expression was still distant. Hela spoke. “I think we should let him go home. That would be the _nice_ thing to do, wouldn’t it? And you try so hard to be _nice_, don’t you?” 

Loki’s eyes widened. It was impossible to miss the reaction, and Tony knew if he’d seen it, Hela had seen it too. “Oh,” she purred. “He doesn’t like that.” Her voice dropped lower, as if just to Tony. “You know, I think he would even be happy to eat you if it meant keeping you from me, but keeping him from you will be absolutely splendid revenge instead.” 

Tony’s vision went black.

He felt concrete beneath his knees and began frantically feeling around, gasping for breath. “Sir?” 

“Jarv?” Tony’s voice broke.

“Initiating protocol Tell Strange I’m One In a Million, Baby,” Jarvis replied in his ever professional voice as Tony let out a sob. The lights turned up. Tony was back in his lab.

“Jarv,” Tony breathed out, tears falling. “I—missed you, bud.” 

“And I you, sir. As much as I am programmed to.” Tony managed a smile.

“How long’ve I been gone?” 

“Two years, twenty eight days, fourteen hours and—call from Brigadier General Rhodes incoming—” Jarvis’s voice gave way to Rhodey’s.

“—Tones?! Tones is that you, it’d better be you—”

“—Yeah. Yeah, it’s me.” 

There was a pause. “Three times you’ve been kidnapped in your life and come back, Tony. Three times! You have a real knack for coming back. Man! I am so glad. Are you okay?” 

“—I—” Tony’s mind flashed to Loki. Loki wasn’t safe with Hela. But he could also be showing up any moment. “—I don’t know if they’ll come back for me—I—I don’t know what I can do. They can literally teleport.” 

“I’m on my way back from Ava’s parent teacher conference now. I’m coming to you. Call in—I’m calling in the team, alright?” 

“Alright,” Tony echoed.

“I’m not letting you go a fourth time,” Rhodey promised him before the line went dead.

Tony pushed himself up off the floor, staring at his lab in astonishment. Two years. It didn’t look a day different, but he’d instructed Jarvis to fear for the worst and turn his lab into something others could use. “Jarv—why’s it look the same?” 

“Miss Potts refused to have it changed, sir. She believed you would be coming back.” 

“Where’s she now?” 

“Vacationing, sir. She is too remote to notify, but I will be sure to let her know as soon as she’s within signal range.” 

“Huh.” Tony wandered over to his desk in a daze. He’d just sat down when he heard the doors to the lab open. Familiar faces, suited up, were piling into the room in disbelief. 

Tony was pulled into a hug by Bruce, of all people. After that it was a long stream of well wishing and everyone fussing over Tony. When Rhodey arrived, Tony teared up again, and while he was quick to hide it, he found himself absently expecting someone to kiss them away. Finally, hours later, they decided to let Tony get some rest. 

He fell asleep in his own bed, with Rhodey and Clint on guard in the room. The team was taking shifts. They hadn’t pressed Tony too hard for answers. They knew he hadn’t been able to talk about the fairy realm last time. But he’d still been able to explain that he thought they’d be coming for him. 

Tony was too tired to think about anything. He was out when his head hit the pillow.

The following day, Shield had the decency to let him have breakfast before hounding him for answers. Tony didn’t have much to give them. They knew from the last time he’d been abducted that magic barred him from talking about it, and Tony didn’t correct that assumption, even as he felt cracks in the restriction. He wanted his role as director back, but no amount of arguing worked. 

“There’s just too much you’ve missed, Tony. Take up retirement. You’ve earned it. It’s time, don’t you think?” 

It was the worst thing they could’ve said. The promise to bring him in as a consultant sometimes didn’t soften the blow. He wasn’t ready to retire. 

Seeing Peter and Harley again made Tony’s eyes well up, but it hurt too. They’d both aged, and two years was far more noticeable in them than it was with his peers. He spent time getting caught up with them, but he’d missed milestones. 

Peter had gotten his masters and was starting his doctorate. Harley had married a girl Tony had never even gotten the chance to meet and was opening a third location for his auto restoration business.

After a few weeks, the team eased off the surveillance, but Tony couldn’t stop wondering where Loki was.

If Loki hadn’t come for him by now, he probably wasn’t coming at all.

It was less comforting than Tony thought it should be. 

Tony tried to get back into the swing of things. There were new young avengers recruits, but they were all kids too young to really care that he was Iron Man. Without Shield to direct, Tony had more time to tinker in the lab. Really, it was all he had to do.

He was incredibly glad to have Jarvis back. It was great to visit Rhodey’s family sometimes on the weekends and share dinner with them. Pepper squeezed Tony in for lunch when she could. But nothing felt right.

One evening, Tony was under a car, fixing it up when he saw a shadow move across the floor. Tony rolled out. “I was wondering when you’d show up.” 

Tony sat up. He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. The lab appeared empty, but he wasn’t fooled. “Hey! Come on, I’m sorry. Does that other form of yours hide you in the shadows? Let’s talk. It’s been getting kind of boring without you and your wild antics around,” Tony said, laughing. “Hey---you?” 

It was just his lab. Tony stared at the shadows in the room, deflated. Embarrassed. “Hey, Jarv? Was there anyone else here? I thought I saw something move.” 

“No, Sir. The only movement in this room has been you. You have not slept for twenty seven hours. Hallucinations are quite common with sleep deprivation. Might I suggest you sleep?” 

“A ‘no, go to bed’ would’ve worked there, Jarv,” Tony bitterly mumbled out. He swayed a bit as he stood up. 

He was probably going to find mistakes on the car tomorrow. Grumbling, Tony headed for the elevator, casting one last hopeful glance towards where the shadow had been. 

“I’ve been expecting you.” 

Dr. Strange was as charming as ever. Tony took a seat in the padded wing chair chair across from him. His study was more cluttered with books and oddities than Tony remembered. 

Tony picked up one of the glass orbs from Strange’s desk. “Well,” he said, moving it from one hand to another. “You’re the magic user I know best.” 

“Put that back on my desk.” 

Tony reluctantly set it down. “So, uh. Here’s the thing. There are—some things I _can_ talk about outside my magical gag order, and I’m banking on you wanting to know them enough to convince you not to tell Shield in exchange for hearing this.” 

“I have no desire to engage with Shield on this,” Strange answered. “And you want something as well.” 

“Right I do, Stephen!” Tony’s enthusiasm felt forced. He didn’t feel as comfortable around Strange as he once had. “I want to get your thoughts on some things.” 

Strange nodded, though Tony didn’t like the concern that had slipped into his gaze.

“There was—someone—that sort of looked out for me, there.”

“Human?” 

Tony shook his head. It was met with disapproval, but that didn’t exactly surprise Tony. “They—messed my feet up before I left, and—I think they were in danger. I think the only reason they haven’t come back for me was because they can’t. Or—I mean, I offended them, but—I still think they would’ve.” 

Strange brushed a hand against his chin, eyes narrowed. “How did you offend them?” 

“I didn’t like what they did to my feet.” Tony wanted to grab one of the glass orbs off the desk again. Strange was staring at him, waiting for him to elaborate. Tony pressed his fingertips to the pendant under his shirt. “We uh—danced, and my feet bled. I couldn’t feel it, but they were—bad. It was—it was bad, Strange.” 

Strange leaned back in his chair. “You’re fortunate to have feet.” 

“What?” 

Strange waved his hand. “There are stories of humans dancing with fairies until their feet are nothing but bloody stumps.” Tony’s stomach dropped. His skin paled. “It’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not, of course. They don’t exactly like to leave their victims around to tell the tales. How did you escape?” 

Had that been Loki’s intention? To dance until his feet were—would he do that?

But if it had been his intention, then why would he have bandaged Tony’s feet? Was it just because Tony had noticed, or did that not matter? 

“Why do they do that?” Tony asked, voice flat.

Strange shrugged. “You’re asking me to understand their reasoning? You’re asking me the impossible. Their reasoning is unlike our own. Their sense of right and wrong is completely removed from ours.” 

Strange corrected the glass orb that Tony had touched. “I believe we would think they get carried away by the music,” he said, though he didn’t sound convinced. 

“They—healed my feet, though.” 

It was quiet for a moment. Tony didn’t look up at Strange.

“How did you escape?”

Tony wasn’t sure how much he could say before the magic kicked in. It felt broken, somehow. There were still parts of it that were strong, but other parts didn’t work the way Tony expected them to, like Loki hadn’t covered it in his spell. “Someone—else sent me back.” 

“Why?” 

“Revenge.”

Tony shook his head slightly. He wasn’t sure if he couldn’t say more, or if he just didn’t want to talk about Hela. Strange nodded. “This other fairy. The one that helped you. Why?” 

Tony shrugged. “We—got along.” 

“Do you miss them?” 

Tony looked up in surprise, his gaze turning defensive and sharp as he saw the knowing in Strange’s eyes. 

“Whatever it was, Tony, let it go.” Strange leaned forward, his cape flaring at the collar as though it were unnerved. “You are incredibly lucky to have made it out twice. It’s unheard of.” He set his hands on the desk. “Don’t let us lose you again, Tony. Whatever affection you held for them—you have to let it go.” 

“I’m not—some love-sick teenager,” Tony said self-consciously. 

Strange stroked a thumb against his chin, then stood up and turned to the bookshelves behind him. He pulled out several books. “Before you were taken,” he said, opening one of them and leaving it on his desk before going to the next, “you met with me and went over every possible idea imaginable for getting you back here. We found the remnants of your old suit, Tony.” Strange leveled Tony with an impossibly hard stare. Guilt washed through him.

“I never expected to see you again,” Strange continued. “It was a miracle for you to get back here, and now I feel as though I am having the exact opposite of that initial conversation.” 

“I’m not—I know I did the impossible. I kind of have a knack for it.” Tony scratched his hair. “I’m just—I wanted to talk about it.” 

He should’ve picked someone other than Strange. The man was many things, but he wasn’t particularly warm and empathetic.

“No,” Strange corrected him. “You wanted to talk with someone that has a knowledge of arcane magical arts. I’m not interested in seeing where that conversation is going to lead. I think you need a love spell reversal, Tony.” 

Little pricks of ice twisted in Tony’s veins. 

Sure, there’d been plenty of magic placed on Tony, but he really didn’t think that Loki would use a love spell on him. He _knew_ he wouldn’t. 

“I don’t think you need to do one. I thought they were an asshole half the time, and I’m pretty sure if there’d been a love spell on me, I wouldn’t have been able to feel that way.”

“But you still want to see them, knowing how dangerous they are.” 

“I just—” Fuck. Had he really been that obvious? He’d lost his edge. “—Want to make sure they’re alright. It was a dangerous situation when I was sent back.” 

Strange’s lips set into a grim line. “All the more reason to do one.” His cape flared nervously from him. “If there isn’t one in place, this spell will be harmless. If there is one in place, you’ll be freed of it.” 

“Fine.” Tony crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “But for the record, I don’t like it.” 

“I do not think the record cares.”


	23. Chapter 23

Strange took Tony’s hands, clasping them together between his own in heavy concentration. “Move your feet further apart.” 

Tony shuffled on the carpet. “Isn’t the nasty smoothie you gave me enough?” 

“The herbs I used in that cost a fortune,” Strange remarked, bending forward over their hands. “And no, this will activate it. Be quiet now, please.” 

Tony drew in a deep breath. He didn’t like how stressed out Stephen was about it. The magician had poured over his books before putting together a smoothie that made Tony’s old chlorophyll drinks look like chocolate bars. Tony had gagged three times trying to get it down.

He hadn’t missed the worried looks Stephen cast his way the whole time. He also hadn’t missed how certain of himself Stephen was. 

But Tony was certain too. He’d made it through a love spell. He knew what they were like. And even if this one was different, he just didn’t think Loki would’ve done one. It didn’t seem like his style.

Strange huffed out a breath, a ring of orange light spinning around their hands before he let go.

The orange rings spun with sparks, then twirled up Tony’s arms, making his heart race. They broke and joined into one ring, spinning down Tony to the ground and then up past his head before dissipating. 

It had been a bit like watching a firework. 

Tony glanced at the embers floating downwards. He looked back at Strange.

Strange was watching him with a hint of hope in his otherwise stoic expression. 

“So?” Tony asked. “What am I supposed to feel?” 

Strange’s cape flared out from him, adding a bit of grandeur as Strange spoke. “Do you miss the fairy that watched out for you in the realm? Do you wish to see them again?” 

“Yeah.” 

Strange’s face fell. Pity and sorrow was left in its place. A guilty twinge ran through Tony.

“How do you know that’s—that’s actual proof a love spell isn't there?” Tony asked, curious.

Strange rubbed his forehead. “You wanting to go back there is genuinely you.” 

“I mean,” Tony said, shoving his hands down into his pockets. “I don’t know that I want to go back-go back there. Just make sure they’re alright and—” He stopped himself from saying visit, but barely. 

“Tony,” Stephen said, as somber as the day he and Tony had first broached the subject of the fairy realm. “You may not have a love spell on you, but that doesn’t mean it’s a wise idea to stay in love with them. They’re dangerous.” 

“I know,” Tony said, his hand reflexively going to his chest. He paused. Stephen was right. It was dangerous. Everything about that place was dangerous. He still wanted to see Loki. “But you can’t reason with a heart.” 

Strange only gave a tiny nod of acknowledgement.

“Thanks for trying,” Tony said. “But, I—” Strange wasn’t going to help him contact Loki. Tony hadn’t even realized that was what he’d wanted, but he did. “—I’ve got some work in the lab to do. Thanks again.” 

“Tony.” Strange gave him a clinical look that made Tony slightly self-conscious. “You’ve only just returned. It will be a while longer before you find a new path. Give yourself time to adjust.” Strange glanced down at his hands. “It will get better, and you won’t want to return to the past so much.” 

Tony gave him a half-hearted smile and left. 

Tony got worried phone calls from Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy in the span of two days. He reassured them that everything was fine and rolled his eyes at Stephen’s meddling, but that was all. “I’m just bored,” he told them. “I’m not—I’m not doing anything foolish.” He wasn’t sure if it was a lie or not.

It took a while for Tony to work up the courage to look for James. 

Jarvis made it as easy as possible to find him in the missing persons reports, but Tony wasn’t ready for what he found.

James had been an artist living in Brooklyn. It had taken nearly a year for the report to be filed. James only had a distant sister in New Hampshire that hadn’t realized he was missing until she’d needed his signature on a legal document. No one else had noticed. 

Seeing the bleak reality of it hit hard.

Tony sat in his chair for a while, wiping away his tears. The pinprick sensation of expecting Loki to taste them had mostly faded. “You didn’t deserve it, James.” Tony whispered, heart aching. “Was it—” 

The spell blocked their names and titles. “Them? Or just—one of them?” Tony ran his hands through his hair. “But they’d still be complicit. I’m rationalizing. That’s not good.” 

There weren’t many photos of James online. Tony found a headshot from an artist bio featuring James several years younger.

His eyes looked haunted, not at all like the James Tony had known. It was hard to imagine that the person in the photo held all the sass and hedonism that Tony associated with James. _You really were having a great time there_, Tony thought, only to berate himself for it. It didn’t matter if he had a great time. James had been eaten. 

Looking at the photo was uncomfortable, but Tony left it up on the monitor beside him.

He swiveled his computer chair to the side, staring absently at his cars parked across the lab. “You’d probably be rolling your eyes at me right now,” Tony told James.

“I just—I just never got to say goodbye, you know?” 

“And I’m pissed that—they—had me for two fucking years, but—you remember how you said I was too responsible?” Tony brushed a hand against his beard, pressing his lips together. “Well, I—without Shield to run or Iron Man to be, I just—don’t have anything to do.” 

Tony sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling. “I mean, I do but I don’t.” 

“The Young Avengers recruitment team isn’t the same. Everyone I mentored has graduated. Peter graduated a long time ago, but he’d still drop in sometimes. The kids used to love him. He’s too busy for that now. And when I’m there I just feel like an uncle the kids don’t really know at their birthday party. It’s—I don’t really feel like I need to be there anymore, the way I did when Peter was there.” 

“And—Shield’s fine. It’s like they didn’t even skip a beat. And Pepper’s been great, and Rhodey and his family are doing great, and Happy’s getting ready to propose to a girlfriend he met when I was gone.” 

“There haven’t been any world calamities that needed Iron Man. They got by fine.” 

“Time didn’t stop here.” 

“They don’t _need_ me, James. Not the way I thought they did.” 

“Not in a bad way, just—I think they’d be ok without me, and I—I mean, they _were_ okay. I don’t want them to be that sad again. They’d definitely kill me if I left. But I—I think _I_ need that person from the other place. And I—I don’t think they’re fine in the same way my friends are. I’m worried something happened to them.” 

“I want to see them. Even if they’re a complete dick, I—fuck, I miss them.” 

“I was just starting to see where things could go with them, and then that—that—ruined it.” 

“I haven’t had anyone—” Tony drew in a shaky breath. “That I’ve allowed that close in—a long time. I miss it.” 

“Is that okay? It’s fucked up. I should hate them after everything. Tell me it’s fucked up. I know it is.” 

“I used to hate them.” 

“I hope they’re okay. I don’t have a good feeling about it.” 

Tony rubbed his hands against his face. “I never would’ve gotten a tenth of that out when you were alive,” Tony said, smiling in weak humor. “You’d probably be irked that I hadn’t hit home base with them yet.” 

“You’d probably be a smug know-it-all,” Tony muttered, but it didn’t make him feel better. 

“Hey Jarv,” Tony said. “Someone else finally got to hear one of my soliloquies. Isn’t that great? Saved you the earful.” 

“I’m thrilled, Sir.” 

Tony genuinely smiled at that. “Jarv,” Tony said, getting up from his chair. He set his hand on the back of it, staring at the keyboard. “How do you feel about travel?” 

“I am quite content wherever I operate from. Why, Sir?” 

“No reason. Just—a stupid idea.” Tony started towards the elevator to go take a shower. “Forget about it. Order in my favorite Thai food, alright, bud? I’m going to watch a movie when I get out of the shower.”

“Sounds lovely, Sir.” 

“Yeah,” Tony mumbled.


	24. Chapter 24

“Did you decide to pick up a law degree for fun?” Rhodey asked, stepping over a pile of aged yellow books on the lab floor. 

Tony looked up. He hadn’t realized Rhodey had entered the lab until he spoke. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit, Sour Patch?” 

“Jenny’s hosting dinner tonight and wanted to know if you’d like to come.” 

“You know I’m always up for dinner with America’s cutest couple,” Tony answered, bookmarking the page he was on. “But I know you’ve got a phone,” Tony said, smiling and curious. “So…?” 

Rhodey shrugged. “I wanted to take a look at what you’ve been up to. I see you’ve done some redecorating,” Rhodey said, nodding towards the small collection of haphazard metal shapes wielded together in abstract forms in the corner of the lab.

“Just a local artist,” Tony said. He’d spent an afternoon tracking down and purchasing all of James’s art. There wasn’t much, but it had soothed Tony to do it. 

“Cool. Hey, I was thinking, maybe we could go shopping at the mall this afternoon? Help me pick out something to buy Terrence for his birthday. He’ll be home from college in a week.” 

“Sure,” Tony said, getting up. He knew this was just Rhodey was worrying about him, and he appreciated the thought, even if it was unnecessary. He’d be fine.

They went to the mall together, and Tony had a good time catching up with Rhodey on the things his family was doing and how his work was going.

When Tony went to Rhodey’s for dinner that night, he realized that it had been about more than Rhodey checking in on him. Jenny had just happened to invite over a gorgeous, smart, single friend that was Tony’s age. 

Tony was charming and entertaining, but his heart wasn’t in it. She was perfect, and he still didn’t even give her his number before she left. 

As Tony put on his coat to go home too, Rhodey set his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Rhodey—” Tony fidgeted with the coat’s zipper, feeling apologetic. “I—” 

“—You should give Wendy a chance. She’s really great and hitting it off with someone new might be a good way to get into the swing of things again, Tony. Holing yourself up in the lab all day and night isn’t good for you.” 

“I really appreciate how much effort you put into this,” Tony said. He felt fucking guilty about it. Rhodey didn’t have time to do things like this. He had better things to do than play matchmaker for Tony. “I really, really do, Honey Bear, I just—” Tony let out a deep breath. “I don’t want someone new.” 

That was all that evening had really showed him. It’d made it painfully clear how much he missed Loki. He didn’t want anyone else. He just missed Loki. 

Rhodey looked away, drawing his fist to his mouth in thought for a moment. “I know you know it’s not a good idea to hook up with whoever it was in Fairy Land. You know normally I wouldn’t care about your dating life, but I don’t want you going back there, Tones. They’re not worth it.” 

“I—” Rhodey stepped back, giving Tony a stare that was painfully reminiscent of the way he’d looked at him when he had palladium poisoning. “Everything I was doing before—directing Shield, Young Avengers mentoring—it’s just not there anymore, Rhodey. I—” Tony licked his lips. “Shield told me it was time to fucking retire.” 

Rhodey shrugged. He didn’t seem to think that was the massive insult that Tony did. “Before you were taken, you’d needed some time off. Directing was running you ragged, Tony. It does that to everybody, but you’ve saved the world a few times already. Taking some time off for yourself isn’t such a bad idea.” 

“But that’s just it. I retire, and—what? I don’t have anything to do.” 

Rhodey folded his arms over his chest. They were standing in the mudroom of his home, just before the entryway to the garage. Tony’s car was a close getaway from the immense guilt he felt. “So maybe it’s time to find something else to do,” Rhodey suggested. “You don’t have to direct or mentor. We could always use your tech knowledge, you know that.” 

Tony shook his head. “My lab’s home, I just—” He couldn’t lie to Rhodey. “I…”

“Stephen said someone over there looked out for you. Getting sent home as revenge had to have meant you were pretty close to them.” 

“Yeah.” Tony couldn’t make eye contact with him. He was letting him down. He wasn’t supposed to want to be in the other realm. 

“Hey,” Rhodey said. “Come back in and let’s talk about it. I’m pretty sure I’ve still got some of that tea you like.” 

Tony managed a small smile. “Now you’re sounding like Bruce.” 

“That’s not so bad,” Rhodey said. Tony followed him into the kitchen, surprising even himself. “Don’t. I’ll get it,” Rhodey said as Tony took a mug out of the cabinet. “It’s ok. Go sit down,” he said with a slightly paternal smile.

Tony gave an uncharacteristically sheepish nod. “You don’t have to—”

“—I want to. Go sit down and stop being stubborn.” 

Tony sat down in the same seat from dinner. Rhodey came over with two mugs of hot tea, setting one in front of Tony. “I know there’s a lot of stuff you can’t talk about,” Rhodey said. “But maybe we can at least talk a little about this other person.” 

Tony took a slow sip of the hot tea. He wasn’t sure how much he’d be able to say. 

“What were they like?” 

Tony glanced up at Rhodey. “Hey,” Rhodey said. “I’m not going to give you a hard time about it, Tony. I think you need to talk about them.” 

Tony absently felt for his pendant. “They—” Tony felt around for words that would come. “Cared.” He scratched the back of his head, recalling the way Loki had held his head as he smiled at him like he was the center of the world. “I think it’ll let me talk about it more if I say what I felt instead of about them.” 

“Ok.” 

Tony tapped the handle of the mug. “I—was in a dangerous place there and—they—helped. I got mad at them right before I was sent back, and we had a fight. I’m not sorry for being upset about the fight, but I’m worried about them. Something—bad—was happening when I was sent home.”

Tony felt for the pendant again. “I just want to talk to them again. I miss them, and I want to make sure they’re ok. I’m worried about them. I think they should’ve come here by now.”

Tony’s eyebrows pinched. “I know I’m very, very lucky to have made it back. I know I—shouldn’t have.” Tony didn’t know if Rhodey would be able to guess that other people hadn’t. The spell wouldn’t let him say more on that. “I know everyone here is right when they say it was dangerous and I shouldn’t go back. But I just can’t—I can’t leave it. I think about them and I—”

Tony reached down into his shirt, withdrawing the pendant that he hadn’t dared to show anyone. He held it up in the light. He couldn’t talk about it. His throat hurt just trying. 

Rhodey understood, though. “Is that from them?” 

Tony put it back under his shirt. 

“Do you want to be wearing it?” 

At least the spell didn’t restrict his answer. “Yes. Nothing’s making me wear it.” 

Tony blinked at the table. “I’m sorry, Rhodey. I don’t want to put you through this. You should be reading Ava a bedtime story, not listening to me wax the philosophical.” 

“Tony, remember when my girlfriend of four years broke up with me right before I was going to propose to her and you stayed with me until I could shower again without a daily reminder? Remember when I got stranded in that snowstorm right before Christmas and instead of telling me to wait for the next plane like a normal person, you flew me a classified suit to take me home to see my wife in time for the holiday? You’re the reason I can walk at all, for fuck’s sake. Let me help you, alright? You were taken captive in a magical realm. You’re allowed to be not okay about it. Let me be your friend, alright?” 

Tony stared at his oldest, best friend and felt his eyes prick with tears. For once, they didn’t make him think of Loki. Tony could barely manage the thank you he uttered.

“This worries me,” Rhodey admitted, handing Tony a napkin off the table. 

“I’m getting weird in my old age,” Tony muttered. 

“Old age,” Rhodey scoffed. He took a long sip of his tea. “Look. I don’t think you remember this, but you weren’t exactly happy directing Shield. You were busy. But you weren’t happy.” Rhodey rubbed his eyebrow. 

“I think you should be pissed at the bastard that took you, but it’s really obvious to me that whoever over there helped you means a lot to you. I don’t think I ever even saw that look on your face when you and Pepper were still together, and I know how much you care about her.” 

Tony’s shoulders were hunched. “Isn’t it fucked up, though?” His mug was empty. “I _should_ be giving them the middle finger and be thanking my lucky stars that I made it back. I don’t think they would’ve let me leave. But I—there are so many reasons why I shouldn’t care about them now, but I do. We were just starting to get to know each other better, and I feel like that time was taken from us.” 

Tony looked up, feeling immensely guilty for the last sentence. “I’m sorry—”

“—Don’t be.” Rhodey didn’t look upset the way Tony thought he would. “I know there’s a lot of the story that I don’t know, but this has made it clear that these aren’t feelings you’re just going to walk away from. I don’t know what the right answer is,” Rhodey admitted. “But I’m going to help you figure it out, Tony.” 

Tony reached for the napkin, pressing the balled up and wet napkin to his face again. “You’re a good friend.” 

“I know.” Rhodey nudged his shoulder. “So are you.” 

Tony smiled at his teasing. 

“We’ll figure this out,” Rhodey said. “Just—keep me in the loop with whatever you’re going to do, ok?” Rhodey raised his eyebrows. “See? I know you’re up to something. You didn’t hunt down rare books for nothing.” He grinned. “Yeah. So, keep me in the loop and let me help you. Alright? Promise?” 

Tony sighed, shaking his head at himself. “Yeah. Promise,” he said, nodding his head. “I promise.” 

Rhodey nodded back. The relief in his expression was unmistakable. “So. Anything else you can tell me about them, or you?” 

Tony set the napkin down. “Actually, I—” His heart felt lighter. “I’ve been wanting to tell this to somebody, and I think I can say it so here goes. They were really hot.” Tony managed a laugh as Rhodey rolled his eyes with a matching smile. “But we uh, didn’t—” 

The spell wouldn’t let him say it, but oddly enough an obscene hand gesture was able to slip through. Maybe it was because Loki wouldn’t have recognized the very human gesture. 

Rhodey laughed, but he also pressed his palm to his forehead. “Okay,” he said. “Maybe I’m not as worried as I thought. I know this Tony Stark.” 

“They’re also kind of a dick, but they also tried to teach me things—” His words were cut short abruptly. “To—” Tony sighed. Sometimes the quirks in the spell made him worry that something was really wrong with Loki and his magic wasn’t working right anymore. 

Tony huffed. “The books you saw in the lab. I’m researching.” 

“No,” Rhodey said in mock surprise.

Tony laughed. “Okay. Well. I mean, as worried as I am that something’s already happened to them and they might not be coming back, it also gives me some time to get my plan just right.” 

“Let’s hear it,” Rhodey said, leaning in.


	25. Chapter 25

It had taken a couple of weeks for Rhodey to stop finding holes to punch in Tony’s plan and agree that it was as good as it was going to get. Tony had also needed a little time to make plans in case it didn’t go well. 

But finally, Tony approached the grounds where he’d first met Loki.

It was early morning. The thick green grass was wet with beads of dew. Songbirds sang across the clearing as the sun began rising. The air was cool and fresh. The beauty of the morning made Tony especially hopeful that he’d get to see this field again.

He hoped even more that he’d be seeing Loki. 

He took several steps towards the middle of the field, soaking his running shoes. At first he’d wanted to wear a suit. He’d needed more carrying space though. He wound up in a jogging outfit with an oversized jacket. Tony had spent too much time in the mirror that morning.

He crept a little further into the field, taking a deep breath.

“Wait a minute,” Rhodey said in his ear. “There’s a pair of joggers ten feet away. Give them some time to pass.” 

“Got it.” 

Tony’s heart had begun to pound. He pressed his free hand to his ear piece. Rhodey was monitoring remotely to stay safe. 

Foot steps thudded against the jogging trail behind him. 

Tony closed his eyes for a moment. He didn’t know if it would work. Loki had offered to come here years before, the first time Tony was taken. He had no idea if that offer still stood, or if Loki would even be around or able to come. Would he want to? 

Tony wasn’t sure what Loki thought of him now.

“Okay, you’re clear.” 

“Thanks.” Tony drew in a long, deep breath, grip tightening on what he carried in his arm. “Wish me luck.” 

Tony closed and opened his eyes, heart pounding. He mustered up the best voice he could. “Loki,” he called.

Immediately, the air filled with the scent of burnt ozone. Loki appeared inches from him, eyes wide as he stared downwards. “Tony?” He exclaimed. 

“Yeah,” Tony said, relief and affection sweeping through him as he recognized Loki. 

Though, Loki was different.

He was wearing his full horned headpiece from before, the massive golden branches spindling from his head. His hair was longer, left loose and flowing, wavier than usual. Tony hadn’t noticed the blood splattered across his cheek until now. Or how the shoulder in the long black and purple robe he wore was torn at the seam, exposing a black, scaled material below. 

“Tony,” Loki said, tilting his head. “You—called.” His disbelief was oddly endearing.

Loki’s eyes and demeanor were more feral than Tony remembered, like he’d started turning wild once Tony had left, but there was also something tender about him that was intimate and familiar. Tony wanted to bury himself in Loki’s arms. 

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

“What an oddly mediocre thing to reassure yourself of. I am okay,” Loki said, like the word itself offended him. 

“Good,” Tony said. “How about that?” 

“Well, I’ve never been good.” Loki grinned, pleased with himself in a way that made Tony’s knees weak. “I must acknowledge how surprised I am to see you. I thought you wished to lead your human life.” 

“I do.” Loki’s face fell, quickly vanishing behind a wall of indifference as Tony rushed to speak. “But I also want to be with you.” Loki came back a fraction, curious. “I missed you.” 

Loki seemed touched when Tony said it, though Tony couldn’t begin to put his finger on what it was about Loki’s expression that gave it away. He wore thicker black makeup in sweeping lines around his eyes now, reminding Tony of a swan. The usual green had been replaced with flecks of gold and purple. 

The blood on Loki’s incredibly pale cheek was sprayed at an angle.

“So,” Tony said, licking his lips, aware of how fast his heart pounded again. “I want to make a deal.” Loki’s eyebrows flew up with surprise, even as his eyes sparked and Tony could practically feel Loki’s mind racing with interest. He extended the bundle he’d been holding to Loki. “Here. This is the deal. It’s written, because I know you’re a genius when it comes to these kinds of things, but I’m one too, so good match, but also, I—this is the deal.” 

Loki’s lips quirked at Tony’s last line. Loki didn’t have to say anything. Tony knew Loki thought that he was being bold for a mortal.

Loki took the heavy stack of papers from Tony. It was nearly an inch thick. Loki flipped through it with his thumb, giving the papers a cursory glance.

“Tony,” he said, frowning at it. “This is—extensive.” 

“I know.” 

Loki tucked the bundle against his chest, looking across the field as if seeing something else.

“I will read your _proposal_.” Tony’s heart skipped a beat. Loki must’ve seen his excitement because he immediately turned his head to the side, golden horns gleaming in the morning light, pushing his bottom lip up in sympathy.

Loki reached out to cup his cheek. Tony wanted to melt into it. Loki was real. He really, really was. His cool finger brushed against the beard Tony had taken to shaping again. “I cannot take you back now,” Loki said, voice quieter, softer. Tony tensed. “There is nowhere that would be safe for you. We are at war.” 

Tony stared at Loki in shock. Panic began building. 

Loki combed his fingers through Tony’s hair, playing with the styling gel to give it a new shape. A wonderful heat followed his fingers on Tony’s scalp. “Hela is many things, but she is not a diplomat. She prefers a forceful approach, and I could not allow her to commit such an insult.” Loki’s voice dropped down lower, something vicious and fiercely protective slipping in. “I never thought I would see you again after she got you.” 

Tony stepped in closer, staring up at Loki. “But—it’s been months here. If you just go back, how do I know I’ll see you again?” 

Loki’s hand slid down to the back of Tony’s neck, cupping it. He considered Tony for a moment, his supernatural green eyes too intricately expressive to pick apart, then bent down and kissed Tony’s forehead. “If you will do me the kindness of not dying while I am away, then I will return for you shortly. The war will not last long. They are already losing.” 

“Prince Loki,” Tony said, forcing himself not to grab onto his robes in the needy way he wanted to. “How do you know _you’ll_ be okay?” 

Loki let out a laugh that was manic and untamable. “Oh Tony,” he said, collecting himself. “I will be perfectly fine. There is no need to worry.” He brushed his thumb across Tony’s cheek. “Though I do find I enjoy you worrying for me so.” 

Tony let out an exasperated little sigh, secretly charmed that the bastard could be so difficult. “Okay. But time still passes faster here.” 

“Let me worry about the time. You stay well and know that I will be back to discuss this novel you’ve written me. I am certain that I will have some amendments to make.” 

“Hey! A lot of work went into that.” 

“Clearly,” Loki said dryly. He let go of Tony to tuck it inside of his robe. Tony saw the flash of light on a set of blades inside. “I cannot be gone from my own realm for long. I must be returning now, but I will come back to find you.” 

Tony lifted up onto his toes without thinking. Loki’s lips were warm and soft against his, and it wasn’t until Loki’s tongue slipped in his mouth that Tony let out a needy moan, wrapping his arms around Loki’s shoulders. Loki kissed him in a way that was both so precise and so intoxicatingly uninhibited that Tony could think of no one else he’d ever met like it. His chest ached. He’d fucking missed Loki. Calling him back was the right decision.

Tony groaned in protest when Loki pulled away. “I must,” Loki muttered, but his eyes were bright. “Such a marvel you are, Tony.” He found himself blushing at just how sincere and flattering Loki’s words were. Loki smiled at him, delighted, and then Tony found himself staring at an open sky. 

“Bastard,” Tony muttered, but he felt so, so much lighter. 

“So. Uh,” Rhodey said in his ear. Tony jumped, face turning dark red. “Do you want to go out and celebrate or…” He sounded unsure of Tony’s reaction.

“Yes,” Tony said. “Yeah. Let’s get some donuts.” He ran his hands over his face. He’d forgotten Rhodey could hear everything. “Tell me he’s hot,” Tony said, trying to distract himself from his embarrassment.

“I couldn’t see anything.” 

“What?” 

“I mean, I heard. But I didn’t see anything. When you handed the contract over, it disappeared.” 

A chill swept through Tony. “That’s weird.” 

“Yeah, so if you don’t mind, I’d kind of like you to get out of that field now.” 

Tony was a little reluctant to leave. He was sure Loki would find him, but he felt closer to him here. Still, Tony walked across the clearing and back onto the trail. He didn’t realize he was smiling until Rhodey teased him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you look like that since you asked Meredith McCall to the spring mixer.” 

“Stop before I bring up the way you asked Bethany Cabe out.” 

“But you just did,” Rhodey shot back. Tony smiled. “Hurry up and get back here. I want to get there while they’ve still got the warm ones from the oven.” 

“My suit could use the mileage,” Tony answered, tapping his chest.

Fifteen minutes later they were ordering donuts, and Rhodey was teasing him for his wistful sighs. Tony swore he wasn’t doing them on purpose. He just felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He ignored the voice in the back of his head telling him it could be months until Loki returned.


	26. Chapter 26

It had been about two months since Tony had given Loki the contract.

He hadn’t appeared yet, but the hope that burned in Tony’s chest kept him warm, eagerly awaiting the moment when Loki would return again. He’d taken to spending most of his free time either researching or building new things. 

It was one of his research days. Tony sat with a cup of coffee and several slices of fluffy white toast lathered with raspberry jelly as he frowned at the book in his lap. It had taken a lot of interlibrary loans to find anything even close to what he was looking for. 

“Tony.” 

Loki’s voice rang out like it was in a dream. Tony jumped, looking around the lab. “Over here, precious thing.” Tony spun around. Loki was on the other side of his desk, grinning. 

Tony’s heart sped up as he let out a huge breath, exclaiming, “You’re okay!” 

Loki’s eyes vanished behind a slow blink, Loki smiling and stepping further into the blue light of Tony’s lab. “Of course I am.” His heavy black makeup from before was still on, sweeping up his cheekbones and glittering with red along the top. His usual flowing robes had been replaced by a slim fitting top and pants made out of the same silky black fabric. He wore a necklace made of arcing gold half moons, and his hair had been half tied back from his face. It had an edge, but it didn’t look like a battle uniform.

“So the war’s over?” 

“The war is over.” Loki perched on the edge of Tony’s work desk, several feet away from him. He pulled the contract from where it had been magically tucked inside his shirt. “Now I wish to discuss my first objection.” 

Tony set his book on the desk, pushing it into the plate of toast. “Wait,” he said, standing up. “Don’t I at least get a kiss hello?” 

Loki raised an eyebrow. “Are you distracted by your needs now?” He tilted the contract back towards his chest. “My, and here I thought you would salivate at the chance to discuss this novel of yours since it holds so much that is dear to you.” 

Confusion set on Tony’s face as he slowly sank back down to his chair. “It’s not about my needs,” he half-mumbled. “I’m just glad to see you.” 

“And I you,” Loki said warmly. He went to flip to a page.

“What happened in the war?” Tony asked. “Is—she—still there?” 

Loki set the contract in his lap. “Hela gauged out and ate one of Thor’s eyes, Thor imprisoned her in her realm and nearly killed one of my brothers in the process,” Loki said with an air of boredom. “Don’t look so appalled. It will grow back.” He crossed one leg over the other. “I do so hate to waste your precious time recounting something you will know about all too well later.” 

“Prince Loki,” Tony said, more than a little shocked at how blasé Loki was about it. “That’s—a lot to have happened. Prince Thor got hurt and your brother almost died. Aren’t you upset?” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “He is merely my brother in blood. The only agreeable thing to Thor botching the kill is that it shortened the war and you had little time to wait for it to end.” 

“You don’t like your brother, huh.” 

“He is nothing but a sadistic, short-sighted pillock. Now for this contract,” Loki said, blatantly forcing the conversation to shift. “I cannot bear the thought of you bestowing any of your precious property to me when I do so loathe lingering in the human realm. I cannot fault you for not knowing, but it taxes me to be here in what the humans have done to this realm.” 

“Fine, I won’t give you a room in the tower,” Tony shrugged. “But you’re here right now. You can be in the human world,” he said, though a question wavered in it.

“Be? Certainly.” Loki’s voice dropped lower. “But I cannot reside here, Tony. No matter how you may wish it, prolonged periods here would leave me unwell.” 

Tony drew in a deep breath. “But I—I need to come back here sometimes. I need human stuff too.” 

Loki’s lips tilted upwards. His expression turned brighter, though he spoke with a thoughtful, considered tone. “I understand you have needs you wish to be met, and I am delighted to find you considering them so thoroughly.” 

He brushed his hand across the top of the contract, his eyes trained on Tony. “I want you to be happy, you precious little thing,” Loki confessed. “I am no fool to think I could keep you well if you were unhappy with our agreement, nor do I delude myself into thinking that I would enjoy your company if you did not wish to be there, and so I endeavor to find a contract that it will not pain you or me to sign.” 

Heat simmered in Tony’s cheeks at the nickname. Out of anyone else’s mouth Tony would’ve found it cloying, but Loki made it delightful, domineering and adoring at once. 

“Now for the room you wish for in order to entertain your—” Loki looked pointedly around the lab, as though naming what he saw was impossible. “—Creations,” Loki decided, “I cannot set such a room in my home as it stands today. I would need to find a space and connect it, likely through the door you are learning to master.” 

“Find a space?” Tony tried to picture it. “Then couldn’t you just connect it back to here?” 

“I cannot connect my home between realms.” Loki brushed a finger across his lips. “I am willing to find a space, however, for you to transfer your creations to.” 

Tony stared at him. Loki seemed far too relaxed and happy for what Tony had thought was a big ask. “But,” Tony said. 

Loki smirked. “But you shall owe me something in exchange for it.” 

There it was. “Then you’re going to have to write what you want me to owe you for it in the contract,” Tony said. 

“I already have,” Loki said delightedly, flipping to the next page. “I’d like to discuss another thing that has been overlooked.” 

“Aren’t you going to tell me what you wanted in exchange?” 

“I will leave a copy for you of today’s amendments,” Loki said, annoyance slipping into his tone. Tony nodded. That seemed to appease him. “These culinary goods you speak of importing—did our food not satisfy you?” 

“It did,” Tony said emphatically. “It was great. I just—miss things, like coffee, that I’d like to bring back. I mean, it all kind of tastes pretty bland now, but I’d like the option, you know?” 

Loki watched him in curiosity for a moment, then looked at the food on Tony’s plate. “Such as this?” He asked after a moment.

Belatedly, it dawned on Tony that Loki was acting curious because he seemed to want to try it. “Here,” Tony said. “This was my afternoon snack. You can have it. That’s coffee,” he said, picking up the mug and plate and setting them beside Loki on the desk. “The coffee’s gotten cold now. It’s better when it’s warm.” 

That had definitely been what Loki wanted. Loki plucked the toast from the plate, studying it for a moment before gingerly taking a bite. His nose wrinkled. “You don’t like it,” Tony said.

“Your generous meal is most appreciated,” Loki argued, but it wasn’t true. Loki reluctantly picked up the mug. Steam suddenly floated up from it. He took a skeptical skip. Loki coughed, setting the mug down. 

“Honestly, Prince Loki, I don’t think there’s any food here you’d like. It’s all kind of—human.” Tony sounded apologetic. “Even the wine from my old cellar would probably taste dull compared to what you’re used to.” 

“You have wine?” 

Tony nodded, shifting as his body complained at sitting still in his computer chair for too long. “I used to collect it, but now it just kind of sits there. I don’t drink anymore, being a recovering alcoholic and all. I thought they’d auction it off or something when I was gone, but it’s still there.” 

“I have tasted human wine before,” Loki said carefully. Tony had never seen him hint at wanting things before. It was strangely endearing. “I must admit to my curiosity.” 

Tony leapt at the chance to give Loki something. “I’ll never use it,” Tony said. “You can have all of it.” 

Loki’s eyes sparked with delight. He seemed to be barely restraining himself. “As a gift? With no expectation of any reciprocation?” 

“I mean, now that you point that out, I should’ve saved that as a bargaining point in the contract,” Tony said dryly. But damn, how he wanted to be able to finally shower the fairy prince with gifts when usually Loki was giving him things. “But I don’t even know if you’ll like it. So yeah. You can have all the wine in my cellar with no expectations attached.” Tony found himself smiling at how thrilled Loki was. “Do you want me to show you where it is?” 

“I have already placed it in my stores,” Loki answered, barely hiding how pleased he was with himself. 

“Magic,” Tony said. Loki nodded. 

Loki stood from the table, grinning with pure enjoyment. “Tony,” he said, his arms sweeping out from him. “I must remark upon how utterly enjoyable our first negotiation was. I have left my amendments from today’s discussion on your table for you to peruse. I will return in a day's time.” 

Tony’s good mood popped. “You’re not going to stay?” 

Loki’s eyebrow twitched. “I will not impose upon your goodwill any longer.” 

“But I—I wanted to finish the contract today.” 

Loki considered him. After a moment, he sighed. “It is not our way to complete such negotiations in a day. Both parties need ample time to review the amendments.” He smiled at Tony. “I am acutely aware of how the clock ticks. I will return tomorrow to continue, Tony. Do be ready?” 

Tony was quiet for a moment. “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Yeah, of course.” 

Loki watched him, and for a second Tony thought he was going to kiss him, but then he was gone. Tony let out a heavy sigh. He kicked at the floor, then went to look at the contract.

The first few pages were marked with Loki’s elegant, scrolling handwriting in purple ink. The rest of the pages were blank.

Tony expected Loki to appear twenty-four hours later, but the late evening rolled around and he still hadn’t shown up yet. Trying not to feel melancholy about that, Tony wandered up to his bedroom. He pulled off his shirt, meaning to take a shower, when Loki’s voice rang out.

Tony turned, not as surprised as he’d been the day before. His shirt was caught around his arms. “Good evening,” Loki said, leaning against Tony’s dresser. He was wearing the exact same outfit as the day before.

Tony pulled his shirt back up over his head. “I wasn’t sure you were coming.” 

“Thor required my assistance,” Loki answered, frowning. His gaze wandered over the room as he spoke, as though he found it fascinating. Tony noticed how he lingered on things, like the TV on the wall, or the digital clock on the nightstand. 

“I read your amendments,” Tony said. “Why are you giving me a wardrobe in exchange for giving me a room?” Tony knew there was something he wasn’t getting. Loki wasn’t just offering to give him two things for nothing. 

Loki smirked. “Ah, but I am not simply offering you clothing.” 

That was enough for it to dawn on Tony. “You want to select what I wear.” 

“Do take care not to sound so put out by it,” Loki chastised him. He smoothed the collar of his robe down his chest, pulling it taut beneath his necklace. “You will of course have days where you may select as you see fit, but if you are to attend court functions, or any event or meeting or time at which I wish to choose, then you must allow me to do so.” 

Tony sat down on the edge of his bed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees. Loki had always seemed to have a thing for dressing him up. “There are rules about what you have to wear to events, aren’t there?” 

“Yes, and far more complex than you imagine.” 

Tony didn’t fully believe that. “How do I know this isn’t just some excuse to drag me around in neglige?” He was half kidding.

Loki’s eyebrows twitched. The accusation had offended him. His eyes darted back towards Tony, instead of puzzling over the hairdryer Tony had left lying on the dresser. “If I wish for you to wear neglige, I hope you will not find it to be such a chore.” 

Tony looked away. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He scratched the back of his head. Loki had always dressed him fairly conservatively, anyway. He didn’t seem to be the type to want other people to stare. “I meant I don’t want to go in lingerie to an event where no one else is wearing it. That sort of thing.” 

“I would not do that to you.” 

Tony glanced up. Loki had folded his arms over his chest. “If you object to what I choose, I will not be so unkind. I did not make such a request to embarrass you.” Loki tapped his foot. “Quite the opposite.” 

“Okay.” Tony got up from the bed. He didn’t like Loki looking distressed. Loki glanced down at him as Tony stopped in front of him. “Hey,” Tony said, setting his hands on Loki’s hips. His heart skipped a couple beats. He was being bold, and he knew it. “We haven’t really gotten to spend time together since you got back. If it’s going to take a while for us to get through the contract, maybe we can spend some time together first?” Tony tried his best seductive, cocky smile.

Loki seemed confused, but that gave way to amusement. “I wish for the contract to be finished before I indulge any of your needs.” 

“Not even a kiss?” 

Loki was quiet for a moment. Then he bent down and Tony tilted his face up, eyes falling shut. He’d wanted Loki like this again so bad. He woke up from dreams about it, frustrated and needy. Loki’s hands set on his shoulders, one gently moving to his neck and tilting his chin. Loki’s lips pressed to his forehead. “There.” 

Tony blinked. “Hey,” he complained. 

Loki chuckled as he let go and leaned away, summoning the contract from within his robes. “I wish to know what you mean by your rules around Jarvis. I was unaware that you held this relationship.” 

It took a moment for the lusty fog to clear from Tony’s mind. “Oh! It’s not a—Jarvis is—well, why don’t you meet him? Jarv, say hi.” 

“Good evening, Sirs.” 

Loki tensed. 

“He’s—okay, it’s going to take a while to explain.” 

It did, but at the end of it, Loki no longer thought Jarvis was a lover that Tony hadn’t told him about, so he considered that a win. Loki returned the contract to him, and this time more pages were filled with his purple ink, but there was red in place of the changes that Tony had marked on his own copy. Tony wasn’t surprised to find that a large part of it was still blank.

The blank pages frustrated him, the same way Loki’s too short visits did. But, as Tony stared at Loki’s handwriting, he realized that Loki had been in a remarkably good mood. Maybe he was more excited by the contract than Tony had first thought.

Tony had literally just set his foot out of bed when Loki reappeared. 

“How many human holidays are there?” 

Tony rubbed his eyes. “Holidays?”

“Yes. You state that you wish to be home for holidays and social events, but you do not state what those holidays are.” 

“Oh. Uh,” he started to list them off and count them in his head when he realized there was a much better way. “Jarv, how many holidays are there?” 

“Ten federal holidays and hundreds of non-federal holidays, depending on the definition, Sir.” 

“Ten works,” Tony said. “I don’t care about things like National Onion Day.” 

“Ten,” Loki echoed, then vanished.

“Hello to you too,” Tony said, heading towards his elevator with bed head and his usual morning grumpiness. 

Tony had taken a shower, had his okay coffee, and about an hour to tinker in his lab when Loki slinked in through one of the shadows in the corner. He had changed. Now he wore a stately green robe with gold diamond patterns and his hair tied back with a gold clip. 

Loki took careful, delicate steps around the wrenches and miscellaneous tools scattered across the lab floor until he reached Tony. 

Loki sat on the desk beside Tony, staring down towards him. “Hey,” Tony said. “Nice to see you again.” 

“I suppose it is.” He smiled, and it was a little sharper than usual. Loki gripped the edge of the desk, straightening his shoulders. “You have laid out a rather strict approach to injury. I cannot always help that you become injured, and if you are healed without permanent injury, what harm is done?” 

Tony crossed his arms, sinking back into his computer chair. “You can’t injure me and say it’s fine just because you heal it,” he said, finding that the nerve was more raw than he expected.

“But you sustained no injury.” 

Tony had thought about this a lot. “No _physical_ injury. But mental? Emotional? Definitely.” Loki had a rather owlish look. “When you did that to my feet, you didn’t just injure them. You injured my trust in you.” 

“But you agreed to dance.” 

“I didn’t know that’s what would happen. You didn’t tell me.” 

Loki’s voice sounded more hurt than Tony expected it to. “How was I to know you would object?” 

“How could I _not_ object to that?” 

Loki’s cheeks started to flush. After a moment he rose from the table, taking several agitated, graceful steps out into the lab. “Then if you count your injuries as such, you injured me as well.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. He was glad that Loki’s back was to him. 

“I wish to do something as simple as dance with you in the way of my kind, and yet you are so woefully fragile that it injures you. There is much I cannot do with you. Was I not kind to tend to your injuries?” 

“You shouldn’t have given them to me in the first place.” 

Loki turned back to look at Tony. His cheeks were still flushed, and Tony thought it might have been the first time he’d seen Loki openly hurt by something. “Look,” Tony said. “There’s a lot of stuff that we’re just not going to understand about each other. It’s going to take a lot of talking and figuring it out and it won’t always be comfortable or fun.” 

He felt like he might’ve lifted that line from something Pepper said to him once.

Loki watched him for a moment, then slowly turned his face in profile. “Yes. There are things you do not understand as well.” 

“Yeah,” Tony said. “So…” 

Loki glanced back over his shoulder, uncertain. Then he walked out further into the lab, delicately stepping around the robotics. “Read the amendments I have written and understand that I cannot always protect you.” Loki set a hand on U, giving the metal a strange look. He swung back around to face Tony, U between them. “I have some additions of my own as well. I am going to be unable to return to you for a few days. There are negotiations I must attend.” 

“Prince Loki,” Tony said, standing. “I’ll read them, but I don’t want you suddenly leaving when things are—like this.” Loki stared at him. “We’re obviously both upset about it.” 

Loki leaned against U, folding his arms over him and leaning forward. “It is in the contract. I do not wish to mull over it, Tony.” He glanced down at U, tapping his finger against an exposed wire. “It pains me to be so direct.” 

Tony believed him. He didn’t necessarily like it, but he believed he was telling the truth. “Okay,” he said, leaning back against his desk but not sitting down. “But—what if something holds you up at the negotiation? I don’t want to be sitting around thinking about how the last time I saw you we were arguing.” Tony leaned off the unyielding desk. “Again.” 

Loki set both hands on U, watching Tony with interest. “I would find that disagreeable as well.” 

Tony found himself grinning after a moment. “I have an idea of something that would be a better memory,” he leered.

Loki scoffed. “Humans are so very needy.” 

“What about your needs?” 

“My needs are not met in the same way,” Loki said loftily, leaning away from U. Tony frowned at him. 

“Then how—”

“—Ah, but you’ve met some of my own before,” Loki said, winding around U to come back towards the desk. He set his hand along Tony’s cheek, his thumb brushing beside Tony’s eye.

“My tears,” Tony said.

“More the emotion in them,” Loki answered. “You suspected, yes?” There was a sharp, arrogant grin on his face, and Tony stubbornly didn’t want to say yes just because of that. “But there will be none of that today,” Loki said. “Read the contract. I find myself looking forward to its completion.” 

“You don’t even have to tell me. I’m going to read it,” Tony complained. 

Loki nodded. “I shall see you in a few days. Perhaps you can—ah, you see, the negotiations I will be at will be quite tiring, and I should so like to look forward to seeing you.” 

Tony’s gaze narrowed. “You will anyway,” he said suspiciously. 

Loki frowned pointedly at Tony’s grease stained shirt. “Will you not work yourself so feverishly? I imagine it must be easy to lose track of time when your mind is lost on other things. I should like to find you relaxing when I return.” 

“Working on the bots helps clear my head—” Tony sighed. He didn’t have to explain himself to Loki. “Don’t show up and expect me to be in lingerie, if that’s what you’re hinting at,” Tony said. He found his resolve softening. “But I’ll—it’s not like you give me an exact time that you drop in at.” 

“And indeed I cannot give one,” Loki said, hand sinking down to the chain on Tony’s neck. The playfulness gave way to something inquisitive. He pulled at the chain, drawing the pendant out from under Tony’s shirt. 

Loki stared at it, clever eyes marked by disbelief. 

Tony felt himself flushing, one hand reaching up to take the pendant from Loki’s hand. Loki didn’t fight him as Tony slipped it back under his shirt. He couldn’t make eye contact. It was quiet for too long. When Tony got the nerve to look back, he caught a glimpse of wonder in Loki’s expression. 

Loki stood up taller then, as though nothing had happened. “A few days,” he impressed upon Tony.

“Got it,” Tony said, relieved when Loki vanished. He rubbed his cheeks, hoping they weren’t as pink as they felt.

It took Loki eight days to return.

“This isn’t just a few additions,” Tony said when the prince appeared. “My company’s had some of the most elaborate no disclosure, keep this tech freaking secret kind of contracts in the world, and I think this is excessive.” 

“And a good evening to you,” Loki replied, sinking down onto Tony’s couch. It was dumb luck that he’d appeared in Tony’s bedroom as Tony was laying in bed, wearing pajamas with a cup of tea on the nightstand and a Stark Pad in his lap. He was technically in bed, but he hadn’t been relaxing at all.

“Really,” Tony said. “I’m not going to ‘abscond’ away with your fairy world secrets,” Tony said, making air quotes. “You’ve spelled me silent about it anyway.” 

“Ah, but you are clever.” 

“Well, yeah.” Tony folded his arms. “But _this_ is excessive.” 

“Our realm must keep its secrets,” Loki said, glancing around the room. Tony wasn’t sure why the bedroom was more fascinating to Loki than the lab. Maybe the lab was all metal and technology at once, where as the bedroom was in smaller, more manageable doses. 

“It is unheard of to allow a human to move somewhat freely between our realms as you are negotiating to do. You cannot be allowed to indulge your mortal friends with what you see.” Loki stretched across the couch so that he was laying on it more than anything else. The black in his eye makeup had shrunk down, replaced by heavy, angular black lines that were accented with a vivid blue and ended in flecks of gold. He was wearing black robes again, though these were slimmer fit with arched shoulders. Gold vine shaped barrettes pulled his hair back form his face. 

There was a sort of lazy, distracted air to him tonight. Belatedly, Tony realized that it was because Loki was tired. “How’d the negotiations go?” Tony asked. 

Loki traced his finger along a throw pillow. “We lost many soldiers, a few of which Thor was particularly fond of.” Loki tapped at the tassel on the corner of the pillow. “Not as many as they did, but there are reparations for them to repay, and Thor is not feeling charitable about Hela’s release.” Loki brushed his fingers over the hair that was clipped back. “I must confess that I am not either.” 

“Why is Prince Thor going to let her go?” 

“He’s not.” Loki glanced over towards Tony. “She shall be released in a hundred years, though initially Thor wanted five hundred. It is an—absurd number, by our standards.” 

“Where’s she staying at?” 

Loki’s eyes flinched with a glare. “You are asking many questions.” He sighed, leaning back agains the couch. “Though that is to be expected,” he soothed himself. “She is imprisoned, though her prison is much like a home—her servants will still attend to her, and she may have guests. Yet, knowing she is locked away affords many a good deal of comfort.” Loki’s eyes vanished behind a slow blink. “Thor is the only one allowed to imprison her, you see.” Tony wished that Loki had sat on the bed with him. “It is just.” 

Tony was relieved knowing he wouldn’t see her for the rest of his lifetime. “I’m glad she’s locked up.” 

Loki smiled. “Me too.” His gaze lingered on the tea on Tony’s nightstand. “Now, as I was saying earlier, you wish to travel between our realms. I shall have to be the one to assist you to do so. It is not something a human can learn to do.” 

“Okay,” Tony said. “And you want in exchange…” 

“Very good,” Loki said with a small chuckle. He was staring at Tony’s tea again. 

“Do you—want some tea?” Tony tried.

“I would find that agreeable.” 

Tony got out of bed, ignoring the pain in his lower back from standing too quickly. “Stay right there. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” 

Loki nodded. He was staring around the room with curiosity again as Tony left. 

Naturally, Tony had Jarvis watching Loki as he made the tea. Tony had expected for Loki to immediately start exploring, maybe look in his dresser drawers or the closet. Instead, Loki simply let his eyes fall shut.

Tony stared at the security feed in awe. He’d never seen Loki sleep, or attempt to, at least. Loki just seemed so vulnerable suddenly, with the way his eyebrows relaxed and his whole body sagged into the couch, like he’d been awake for days. Tony turned the tea canister over, fidgeting with it. Had Loki rushed back? 

Tony stared at the feed for a while longer. Loki was gorgeous. There was no way to deny that. But this way he seemed gentler too, and not human, still definitely supernatural, but somehow closer all the same.

When Tony went back to the room with the tea, he wasn’t surprised to find Loki awake as though he hadn’t been dozing.

Loki took the mug that Tony offered him. He subtly sniffed the tea before sipping it. Loki choked, holding back the tea and forcing himself to swallow. “That bad, huh?” Tony asked.

“It is most generous. I simply swallowed wrong.” Loki set the tea down on the coffee table. 

“I have some other blends you can try.” 

Loki didn’t answer, as if weighing his options. Finally he said, “I am quite alright. There is another part of the contract that I wished to discuss.” Loki drew in a breath. “For how long do wish to continue to visit the human realm?” 

Tony didn’t like the question. “I mean—as long as I’m alive? I’ve got friends here I want to see.”

“Yes, but when your friends are not alive.” 

The question sent a chill through Tony. Loki probably didn’t meant it like that. Tony thought about it for a moment, trying to put it into Loki’s perspective. “Human’s don’t die that fast. They’ll live about my lifespan.” 

Loki was quiet for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. “I am not oblivious to the length of the average human lifespan.” 

“O-kay.” 

“Will you still be interested in returning if your friends are not here?” 

Tony sat down on the end of his bed. “Are you—threatening them?” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “No. Answer the question.” 

“Am I still going to want to come back if they’re not around? Yeah, I think I’d miss it sometimes, even if it wasn’t about visiting my friends.” 

“Would you want to come back at the same frequency you have outlined?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Then that will have to be accounted for differently than is outlined.” Loki started to sit up.

“Wait. How long are you expecting me to live?” 

Loki tensed slightly before tossing a languid look towards Tony. “Time travels differently between our realms. You will outlive them.” 

“I—know.” Tony shrugged. “I’ve had some time to think about it.” 

Loki rose from the couch. “I am glad you have given it some thought.” There was a faint purple hue beneath his eyes, as though he’d covered the mark of sleep loss. “I shall return later, then.” 

“See you then,” Tony said, and he was gone. 

Loki returned three days later, wearing a set of deep blue robes. “Tony,” he called. Tony rolled out from under the car he was working on. 

Loki was frowning, tilting his head as he stared at Tony. “I’m doing some repairs,” Tony said. “I’m fine.” It was funny to see Loki look uncomfortable about it.

Tony squinted. “What’s wrong?” 

Loki stood taller, pausing to inspect DUM-E. “Have you had time to review my newest additions?” 

Tony sat up from his creeper. He tapped the wrench he held against his hand. Loki was definitely uncomfortable, and Tony couldn’t tell if it was the tech or the contract. “Yeah.” Loki’s eyes darted to him. “I mean, I think you’re being a little overprotective on some stuff—”

“—I am being perfectly reasonable,” Loki said with fire. Tony let the wrench fall into his palm and stay there. 

“Right. So, I mean, I didn’t make that many changes. I don’t really care about society rules, and it’s nice knowing you’re saying you’ll help me steer clear of the worst of it, but honestly, I’m not that big on the party thing anyway.” 

“You cannot burrow inside your room of creations and leave me to suffer through them alone.” 

“We could just not go.” 

“That response is precisely why I must make the insistence clear,” Loki retorted. “There are delicate lines to walk.” 

Tony stood, catching himself on the hood of the car. He really didn’t care that much about the fairy parties thing. “There’s something else,” Tony said, gambling that Loki was worrying about a different clause. 

Loki walked behind DUM-E, pressing his lips together. “Yes.” He steeled himself for whatever he was about to say. “I think you should be informed that you are no longer entirely human.” 

“_What?_” 

“You consumed our food,” Loki said quickly. “You are, though admittedly now only a fraction of a fraction, a tiny bit us.” Loki stared straight ahead. “Most humans, even when released back into the human world, are a tiny bit. Usually it extends their lifespan by a few hours. It’s hardly worth mentioning.” 

“So what does that mean?” 

Loki stared at Tony, quiet, his expression still. 

“How long would it take me to be a hundred percent?” Tony tried. 

“I do not think it likely that you will ever be,” Loki said. Relief hit Tony. “But after a few hundred years, your lifespan will expand and you will become, hopefully, a little more hardy than you are today.” Loki had to have been avoiding this conversation. “Simply being in our realm transforms you, Tony. It is not merely the food.” 

Tony was a little light headed. “But me coming back here—that’ll slow it down, right?” 

“A detestable reality that I shall endure for your sake,” Loki said. 

Tony sat down on the hood of the car. “This is a lot to think about.” 

“The ceasing of relations clause,” Loki said. “If that is what we wish someday—”

“—I’ll still have an extended lifespan.” 

“Yes.” Loki stepped out from behind the bot, looking very much the fairy prince that he was. “I did not wish for you to discover this later and hold it in contempt.” 

Distantly, Tony was impressed by how hard Loki was trying. Tony knew Loki had the skill to screw him over in a heartbeat if he wanted to, but it seemed that he genuinely wanted them both to be happy with the deal. “So a longer lifespan and—what else? Will I—I don’t know. Be able to do magic?” 

That amused Loki. “I very much doubt it,” he said. “In truth, I do not think there will be many significant changes. There have been other humans living in our realm, and they are always very much human, even if they are not fully any longer.” 

Loki took a few steps further into the lab, away from Tony. “He wishes for me to be direct, then perhaps it is best that he understand how vulnerable that makes me, to hold close such a fragile being.” 

“Loki,” Tony said, almost cooing the name. “It’s normal to worry about people you care about.” 

“That is the _second_ time you have forgotten my title.” 

“When was the first?” Tony demanded, bewildered by how offended Loki was by it. 

“When you called my name,” Loki said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“When?” 

Loki huffed out an irritated breath. “When you called to me and first presented our contract.” 

“I don’t remember.” Tony hopped down from the car. “Does it matter when it’s just us?” 

“Of course it matters. It is my title,” Loki replied. “And you are now to be a part of _my_ court, not Thor’s. I will not have a member of my court disrespecting me.” 

It was obviously a very, very sore subject with Loki. Tony didn’t have time to unpack that. He figured he’d have time to wear Loki down, or get him to accept a few nicknames instead. “Do I get a title?” 

“Why would I call you by a title?” 

Tony burst into a laugh. Loki glared. “Hey, it’s just—you dropped this whole hey you’re not human and you’re going to live, what, a really long time possibly thing on me, and now we’re bickering over titles.” Tony ran a hand through his hair. “I think it’s a good sign that we’re going to be fine.” 

Loki watched him for a moment before he relaxed, a small, not entirely certain smile appearing on his lips. “You have taken the news considerably well.” 

“I mean, I’m still processing it. I’m sure I’ll have questions later. I’m just—” He bit off saying that he was glad Loki was there. He was just really fucking glad Loki was there. He felt better, more grounded with him there, like things were finally right again. “You know. Anyway. So. You want to punish me for forgetting your title, because my ass can take it today—”

Loki scoffed. “—It is not a punishment when you are so eager.” 

“I mean, oh no, I would really hate that.” 

Loki shook his head like Tony was the most trying person in the world, but there was a hint of fondness when he looked back at Tony. “Please take time to carefully consider my latest amendments. We are nearing the end of our negotiations.” 

Tony restrained himself from an eye roll. “I’m very carefully considering everything in it, don’t you worry.” Tony grinned. “Think about what you want that punishment to be for forgetting your title, my handsome prince.” 

Loki’s lips thinned, like maybe he knew Tony was testing him, but then his eyes dropped down to Tony’s chest for a moment and he let it go. “He is so trying. I do wonder what I have gotten myself into,” Loki said, setting a hand on his own chest. 

“Are you going to kiss me goodbye this time?” 

Loki’s smile was wicked, and Tony fell for thinking he was finally going to get one, just to watch Loki vanish. “Figures,” Tony muttered. 

He sat down at his desk. He really was going to carefully go over the contract.

Tony was fairly happy with the contract. Loki appeared several more times. Mostly to point out something or ask a question, but they only took a few more days to stop scribbling amendments and changes. Tony tried showing Rhodey the final product, but it was all blank pages to his eyes. Tony felt confident, though. 

And he knew that if Loki really wanted to screw him in the contract, he’d be able to. But Loki had been sincere about wanting Tony to be happy with the contract. Tony was certain of it.

He was excited as he finished reading the copy for the final time, grabbing a pen from his table.

“Prince Loki. I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How many times can these two roll their eyes at each other as they're trying to work it out? XD  
I just want to give a big shoutout to everyone that's been rooting for this story. I hope this chapter makes your week a little brighter too. <3


	27. Chapter 27

Loki appeared a foot away from Tony’s desk. He took the contract from the desk, flipping through the pages, looking for changes. There were none. Tony had nothing to add, and Loki had approved the last set.

As Loki looked, Tony admired the way Loki’s hair hung down beside his face. It was loose today, strands woven through the crown of golden branches he wore. His makeup was back to the familiar green and gold. Tony thought his fitted black robes were unnecessarily showy, but he wasn’t really one to speak. He’d worn a white suit for the occasion and dyed the grays from his hair.

When Loki reached the final page, he paused. Tony wasn’t sure if he was thinking or taking the moment in. Before he could fill the silence though, Loki looked to him. “You are absolutely certain that you are satisfied with everything in this contract?” 

There was the faintest hint of fear in his eyes, like he expected Tony to reject him. 

Tony shrugged. “I’ve thought through this a lot. I’m ready to sign it. What about you?” 

“But are you happy with it?” Loki’s grip on the contract had tightened a fraction as he stared intently into Tony’s eyes, like a fish caught on a line.

“Yeah,” Tony said. “If I objected to something, I would’ve said so. In fact, I did say so. A lot.” He wanted to laugh. Loki was worrying too much. “Why’re you worrying?”

Loki’s stance softened. “I wish for you to be pleased with it. I understand that we did not meet under circumstances you would deem ideal, though I can envision no other way our paths would have crossed. If you are to spend time in my realm, I wish for you to be happy.” 

In the back of his mind, Tony was glad that Loki was taking this seriously. But he was impatient. He’d made up his mind. Tony set a hand on his hip, nodding his head slightly as he considered Loki. “Honestly, it weirds me out a bit that you’re hesitating. I thought you’d be thrilled to sign. Are _you_ happy with it?” 

Loki’s eyes widened a bit, an insecure gleam in them. “Yes,” he said, as if the question was ludicrous. He held the contract closer to his chest. “I have told you this before, but contracts and agreements in our realm are not to be taken lightly.” He lowered the contract. “I have never signed something such as this. It is wholly binding.” 

“I know,” Tony said. “You’ve said it’s unbreakable. There’s no need to rehash it,” Tony said, grabbing the closest pen on his desk, an SI branded one. “Do you want to sign first, or me?” 

Loki considered Tony for a moment, like Tony was wild and unknown but captivating too. He summoned a fountain pen, signing in a breathtakingly beautiful scroll. Tony set the contract down on the desk when Loki handed it to him.

Tony didn’t hesitate before he signed his name, lacking the flourishing touches that Loki had.

He liked the way their names looked together on the paper. It gave him a sense of pride.

Tony felt something shift, though he couldn’t say what. He looked back at Loki, whose gaze was distant. “Is the contract going to burst into light or, I don’t know, do something? I thought it would do something.” 

“It has.” Loki nodded towards the contract. “A second copy has appeared in my home. This one is for you to keep.” Loki took a deep breath. “Since you lack magic, I suggest that you carefully consider a place for it where no one else can find it. Allowing someone else to see it is—unwise.” 

“Can you magic it away for me?” 

Loki shook his head. “No. The contract concerns me, and so I may not be the one to keep it.” 

“The safe it is,” Tony said, grabbing the contract. He felt silly walking across the lab and putting it in a safe he’d made, but it was as good as anything else, and Loki seemed relieved to see him do it.

When Tony walked back over to him, Loki’s eyes were brighter, but he was holding himself back. Tony grinned at him. “I’m serious,” he said. “Let’s get ready to move. I have a ton of stuff.” 

Loki nodded very slowly.

“What?” Tony said.

“I am simply—amazed this is happening,” Loki said. That seemed to embarrass him. He quickly added, “Let us hurry before you change your fickle mind.” 

“Uh-huh,” Tony said. Loki held out his hand and Tony grabbed it, shaking his head with a laugh. 

Tony took a deep breath in when he saw the enchanted hallway again. The sight of faintly glowing blue mushrooms warmed his chest. They were so deeply familiar, and yet so unusual at the same time that Tony knew in a visceral way that he was back. Loki’s hand set on his shoulder.

“I would like to show you the wardrobe I’ve gathered for you and have your input on where you would like your clothes to be placed.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Tony answered. He supposed that unpacking was a sensible place to start. 

They started to walk down the hall. Tony stopped at his door, Loki’s hand knocking into him before he gracefully let go. Tony looked up at him. 

Loki was watching him with those wild green eyes. Tony wanted to ask about them. Did they really change, or was he just projecting that? He licked his lips. “Aren’t we going in?” 

“That is no longer your room.” 

Tony pushed his lips together. He hadn’t even been here five minutes and he already felt like Loki was up to something. “Where am I sleeping then?” 

“In our bedroom,” Loki said. 

Tony stared at him.

He felt himself starting to smile and fought it back. “You mean—” The gorgeous set of black double doors with the imposing crescent moon at the end of the hallway had seemed unobtainable before. “There?” 

“Of course.” Loki smiled slightly, though his eyes were serious. “There is more than enough room for both of us.” 

Tony didn’t fight off his smile this time. “Alright. I can’t wait to see what you’ve picked out.” 

“I am looking forward to your thoughts.” Loki started down the hall, Tony at his side. Tony could hardly believe it as he watched Loki pull the massive doors open as though they weighed nothing. Tony leaned around him, excited to see what laid inside.

Tony followed Loki into a grand room like a labyrinth. Dozens of tunnels lead away from the main room, all decorated with glowing crystals and more of the familiar blue mushrooms. There was a simple set of furniture in the middle that was dwarfed by the massive room. It looked as though it was meant for guests. There was a set of couches with corner tables, and one long table with chairs.

Loki’s hand slipped into his. “You will easily learn these passageways,” he said. “But for now I will lead you to our bedroom.” 

Tony’s head craned up towards the ceiling. “What about the tunnels up there? I can’t reach them.” 

“They have lower entry points,” Loki reassured him. He started towards a tunnel on the left. 

“This is more than your bedroom,” Tony said, amused. 

Loki liked that remark. “It is, though, my bedroom.” 

“Fair enough.” 

The further they walked in, the more decorated the walls of the tunnel became. There were murals painted on the grey stone with nothing but golden paint. Some seemed historical, others were of the animals and plants that Tony was used to seeing here. Stars like in Tony’s previous bedroom floated above them, growing more dense the deeper they went.

The door to the bedroom was surprisingly simple. It was a lacquered black door with a golden handle that Loki pulled open. 

Tony wanted to throw himself on the bed.

It was massive, with dozens of shades of blue fabric hung above it and down the sides in a canopy that spilled onto the floor. There were piles of blankets, many of them of furs. The celestial theme was woven throughout the room, but by now the planets and stars seemed normal. Tony hardly had time to gawk as Loki led him to a side door with a vast walk-in closet.

There had to be hundreds of clothes, nearly all in Loki’s signature black, golds, and greens. Dozens of empty shelves and wracks took up half of the closet. “Which ones are mine?” Tony asked.

“These are all yours,” Loki said, pride slipping into his voice. “My wardrobe is adjacent to this.” 

Tony knew he was a little wide eyed as he looked back at Loki. “Where would you like me to place the wardrobe you are bringing?” Loki asked. 

Tony vaguely gestured at the empty space in the closet. Loki nodded. He turned away, and Tony felt the pressure in the room warp sideways, making him want to catch himself. It was gone a moment later, and Tony found himself staring at piles upon piles of his clothes. “I believe this is everything in your residence,” Loki said. 

Knowing Loki did magic and seeing it were two different things sometimes. When Tony didn’t say anything, Loki began using magic to make the clothes fold and sort themselves. That was equally mesmerizing to watch.

Tony was disappointed when Loki finished and set back towards the bedroom. 

After a moment, Tony hurried after him. 

Loki was standing in the center of the room, seemingly debating what to do next. He picked a silver star pillow from the floor and tossed it back onto the bed, where dozens more like it sat. “I will need to make several trips with you to move your creations. It will be too draining to do all in one day, but we can begin tomorrow.” 

Loki smoothed the sleeve of his robe. “I have placed the components for Jarvis there already, as you have requested.” 

Tony didn’t care that much about unpacking. He knew Loki would move everything. But why was Loki just standing there in the middle of the room, fretting over it? 

He hadn’t even needed to ask Tony where to put his clothes. It was obvious that they were meant to go in the empty space. It was more like Loki had been looking for something to do. 

It hit Tony like a sheet of cold water. Loki was feeling _awkward_. 

It made sense. Besides working on the contract, it had been a while since they’d gotten to spend time together, and even before there was almost always something happening. Having so much unstructured time all of a sudden left a vacuum. “Hey,” Tony said. “Why don’t you show me around? I’d love to see everything here.” 

“You would?” 

“Yeah.” Tony started to smile. It was absurd that Loki found that strange. “The rooms here are all gorgeous, and I have to learn where everything is anyway, right?” 

“I am pleased you find them appealing. Many do not care for the—nocturnal aesthetic. It speaks plainly to what I am.” 

“Well I kind of feel like I’m getting to live in a very nice planetarium, which, you know, is a win. So. Let’s go for a tour!”

The way Loki looked at him as he took Tony’s hand made him feel like he’d won something. 

Loki led him back out and down the hall to a small room compared to the others. There was a bar in the middle with dozens of bottles behind it, and a few tables with chairs. Tony immediately recognized his wine collection on the far wall. Loki had carefully arranged it in a massive collection of spindling black metal. “Hey!” Tony said. “Glad to see you found a home for it.” 

“Yes. Admittedly, this room is not used very often. Those before me were, perhaps, more fond of entertainment.” 

“Before you?” 

Loki nodded. “When I pass, another heir will be traded and take my place here.” 

“How long do you guys typically live?” He’d never been able to settle on a definite answer.

“I expect it shall not be my turn to pass for several thousand years more.” 

That seemed pretty miserable for Loki, in Tony’s opinion. Wanting to steer them back towards happier things today, Tony forced some pep into his voice. “Well I don’t think this room is going to get much use from me, either. It’s pretty, though. I would’ve liked to have a drink here when I could, but I think it’s better if I don’t come in here.” 

It didn’t wind up as cheerful as Tony had meant it to be.

Loki studied him for a moment. Then he surprised Tony. “Would you care for me to enchant this room so that you cannot enter?” He asked, a gentle curiosity in his voice.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” 

The light glinted on the branches in Loki’s hair. “Is there—anything else you would wish for me to consider?” Loki asked, his gaze lingering on the collection of wine bottles.

“Just don’t get drunk around me, and I think I’ll be fine. It doesn’t really bother me anymore when other people have a glass around me, unless it’s a bad day. But, uh, we can talk about that more later.” Tony grabbed Loki’s hand. “I want to enjoy the tour with you,” he said, smiling. 

Loki didn’t smile back, but his thumb brushed over Tony’s hand. He guided him to the hall. “I need my hand for just a moment.” Loki set his hands on the door and closed his eyes. A second later, he reached for Tony’s hand again.

“Are you sure I can’t learn magic?” 

“Perhaps a paltry spell here or there,” Loki allowed with some humor.

“Cool.” Tony grinned. “So. What’s the deal with the stars on the ceiling?” He pointed up towards them. “They chime sometimes.” 

“There is a signaling system woven throughout them,” Loki answered. “They ring when someone is arriving or leaving, and they can carry messages in.” 

“Do they ring when you arrive?” 

“Of course.” 

“I’m still going to have Jarvis set up communication between the rooms. I don’t think we can carry a whole conversation through ringing.” 

“Of course.” 

Tony glanced over at Loki. The prince seemed amused, though whether that was at Tony or in general, Tony had no idea. 

It made Tony feel lighter, though. “So. What’s next?” 

“Closest is the washing basin. Truthfully, I only use it in my other form, and it carries a current, so I would prefer that you not enter. I will show you it now, though.” 

“Are you going to teach me about your other form?” 

“Yes. But not today.” 

“Fair enough.” 

It was a while before they reached a wooden door that lead into a cavern. There was a rapidly flowing stream running between slick rocks that towered above it. Tony didn’t think he’d be able to get out of it if he ever fell in, period. “Yeah. I wouldn’t swim in that any day.” 

“It leads into the underground. I hope that it connects outside, but I have never tested the theory.” 

Loki began to explain the history of how the chamber was built, and Tony found himself impressed at how Loki was detailing all of it. Maybe it was the contract that set him more at ease, but it was nice to see this side of Loki. The more rooms they visited, the more Loki opened up, and the smoother conversation came.

The entire place seemed pretty grand. But before, Loki had felt it was important for Tony to be able to use the door he’d made and access that other room. “Why is that other room with the magical door your favorite?” Tony asked.

Loki tilted his head slightly. “I have altered this space in many ways, but that room is entirely my creation. Perhaps it is because it was born entirely of my magic, but I feel most at home there.” 

“That’s how I feel about the lab,” Tony said. “If I’m going to be somewhere, it’s usually there. I like being around my work.” 

They shared a look then. 

“We should retire back to our bedroom,” Loki said. “Tomorrow I wish for us to dine with Thor and his court to celebrate your arrival.” 

Tony stopped. “Do they know I’m coming back?” 

“Yes,” Loki said with abandoned glee. 

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “And—?” 

“And nothing,” Loki said. “Hela released you to your realm, ending the right Thor had to you as his catch. You called me and arranged a separate contract. You are wholly in my court now, and you are not going back to Thor’s.” 

Tony sighed. He ignored the pleased shiver that went down his spine at the obvious pleasure Loki took in the fact that Tony was in his court. He blatantly ignored the bullshit that Thor had a right to keep him at all. “And what’s Prince Thor think of that?” 

“I hardly care what he thinks,” Loki said loftily, practically tilting his nose into the air. Tony wanted to laugh. Of course Loki cared. Loki squeezed Tony’s hand and they appeared in their bedroom. Loki walked away to one of the dressers in the room. He took a silver brush from the drawer.

Tony decided now was a good time to give his idea a shot. “He doesn’t care what his brother thinks, but I wonder what he wants to happen at tomorrow’s dinner? What’s it going to be like? What will his brother think? Or his brother’s friends?” 

Loki almost lost his grip on the brush. Tony held his breath not to laugh. The surprise on Loki’s face was delightful. Loki turned to him with wide eyes, quickly torn between suspicion and pride. He turned away again, setting the brush down and smirking. “Does he worry for what will occur? This dinner is meant to be a celebration. I have longed for his return, and I wish for my brother’s court to understand that he is now a part of my court. Perhaps my brother needs reminding of it too. How disappointed he was to find his leverage gone.” 

Tony grinned, setting his hands on his hips. “You just want to show me off.” 

Loki let out a dramatic sigh. “Such progress you made, only to toss it away.” 

Tony rolled his eyes with a smile, flopping down on the sofa. He was exhausted from walking all over the place, or maybe it was everything from the day catching up with him. “I’m not wrong though.” 

Loki frowned, grabbing the brush and running it though a section of his long, black hair. “Before you were my brother’s catch. Tomorrow I wish for them to see you as I do.” Loki’s gaze sharpened towards the wall. “My court is to be respected.” 

Tony didn’t think that Loki’s court was ever going to be anything but an other court in the fairies’ eyes. He wished that Loki would just give them the bird and call it a day, but he knew it was far more complex than that for Loki. “Ok. We’ll have dinner with them.” Tony yawned. “But then I want to be punished or something.” 

“Please do not give me reason to punish you at tomorrow’s dinner.” 

“Would telling them all to suck it qualify?” 

Loki’s gaze widened in a warning towards Tony. “What?” Tony asked cheekily. “Sif drugged me. I’m not looking forward to seeing her again.” 

“I imagine she’ll be far less interested in you now that you are no longer insulting Thor.” 

Tony let his head drop back against the sofa. “Yay.” 

Loki glanced over at him him and then went back to brushing his hair. Tony let his eyes fall shut.

He woke up in their bed. 

He hadn’t meant to doze off on the sofa. Tony yawned, pushing himself up off the mattress. There was a star pillow in his lap and dozens of blankets wrapped around him. Tony pushed them off, crawling across the bed until he reached the curtain.

When he pulled it back, he found Loki’s eyes on him from over the book he’d been reading on the sofa. Loki’s lips curled up into a smile. “A good morning to you.” 

Tony’s hair was sticking straight up. He didn’t have bags under his eyes, though, like he normally did. If anything, he was brighter eyed than usual. “Is it morning? I can never tell around here.” 

“Yes,” Loki said. “Though it is much closer to midday than not.” He set his book down on the sofa. “Would you care to eat with me?” 

“Were you waiting for me to get up?” Loki didn’t answer. “Aww, look at you being all soft.” 

“I merely have not needed to eat, but I know mortals must. Do take care not to flatter yourself so.” 

“Whatever,” Tony said with a fond smile, stepping out of bed. Loki had taken the liberty of removing his suit, but he’d left his dress shirt and boxers on. The shirt was a wrinkled mess. Tony wandered past Loki and into the unsurprisingly gorgeous bathroom. He abandoned the shirt in what he assumed was a laundry basket. 

Tony wondered if the double sinks were a new addition as he tried to make his bedhead at least a little charming. There were more of the glowing purple crystals growing around the mirror, and a cluster of blue mushrooms at the top. Crescent moons were laid in gold around the raised sink bowls. Tony stretched his neck.

He was wearing just his boxers and an undershirt. Loki hadn’t changed his clothes from the night before. Tony doubted that he’d slept. Feeling a little underdressed and unsure, Tony left the bathroom meaning to find something in the wardrobe Loki had given him. Instead, Loki was standing right outside the door. 

“Let us be going before breakfast gets cold,” he said, grabbing Tony’s hand. Tony stumbled after him. 

“Why can’t we just teleport like last night?” 

“You need practice to learn the layout of this place, and I wish to conserve my energy today for other things.” 

“Can I at least put some shoes on? I’m not walking on rocks.” 

“Ah.” Loki let go, walking back to Tony’s closet and returning with a pair of slippers faster than Tony could object. Tony slid into a pair of plush green ones, catching the way Loki’s gaze lingered on them. 

“What’s for breakfast?” 

“We shall see when we get there.” 

Loki was walking slightly faster than he usually did. He was also still holding Tony’s hand. They’d just sort of done that on and off the night before, and Tony had liked the quiet intimacy of it. It had been like an anchor, bring them together again.

Tony didn’t mind it this morning, either. Loki’s long fingers were cool to the touch but surprisingly soft. He seemed to like brushing his thumb over Tony’s hand and winding their fingers together.

It was unexpectedly tender for a being that Tony had no doubts could be unfathomably powerful and dangerous when he wished to be. Tony was glad that he hadn’t seen Loki in the war. He didn’t think that Loki was the kind to be right on the front lines, but maybe he was. Tony didn’t know how or whose blood had been on his face. 

Tony was also very glad that he had not seen Thor at war.

This morning Loki walked with eager steps towards his favorite room with a contentment that Tony wasn’t used to seeing. Tony squeezed his hand, happy for Loki’s fingers to slide against the soft places between his tendons in return.

Returning to Loki’s favorite room sent a thrill through Tony’s chest. He hadn’t realized he’d missed it until he was back. Loki walked them to the table, nodding towards Tony’s chair as he sat down. When Tony saw the tray, he knew why Loki had been excited.

It was set with Loki’s usual meal, but there was also what was undoubtedly Tony’s— a cup of coffee, a plate of pancakes, three different creamers filled with syrups and cream for his coffee, and a small pot of sugar. “Wow,” Tony said, sitting down. “This is really thoughtful.” 

“I left instructions with the kitchens on how to prepare your meals,” Loki said, eagerly setting Tony’s plate out for him. 

Tony stirred cream into his coffee before taking a sip. Tony coughed, blinking back tears. 

Loki’s crestfallen look was way too much to handle. “It’s fine,” Tony lied. “Just went down the wrong pipe.” 

“It did not.” Loki reached for the mug and Tony gave it to him. Loki glanced down at the mug. It glowed green for a second before he took a long sip. Loki blinked. “Is this not what it is supposed to taste like?” 

“It’s too watery. You’re just tasting the cream.” Tony was sure the pancakes would be good. They didn’t seem too different from the cakes and pastries Tony was used to seeing here. “It’s tricky to get the grounds and water right. I’m going to have a coffee maker in my lab anyway. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Nonsense. You will tell me what needs to be understood to brew it to your liking.” 

Tony would’ve felt sorry for the lecture that was likely headed the chef’s way if the chef had liked him at all. “What was that green flash you did on it?” Tony asked, half-interested, half to distract Loki.

“I assessed it for tampering,” Loki said, as if that was a completely normal thing to do.

“It worries me that that would even cross your mind.” 

“I am royalty. It always crosses my mind.” 

“Has anyone tried to kill you?” Tony asked, his voice slightly strained.

“Not in a very long time.” The look on Tony’s face must’ve been bad because Loki’s voice turned deliberately soothing. “It was when I was incredibly young and had just been borrowed. It is easy for the new borrowed heir to be met with contempt.” Loki set Tony’s coffee down on the tray. “Everyone becomes accustomed to the old one, and accepting the new one, with the tension—it happens.” A new mug appeared, which Loki set in front of Tony. “I prefer not to dwell on those early days here.” 

There was nothing Tony could say. He tried the new mug instead. It was the familiar old tea. He took a bite from the pancakes. “Holy shit.” He licked his lips. “These are incredible.” 

Loki’s eyes lit up. “I am pleased you like them.” 

“I do, they’re—man, you know, when I went back, so much stuff just tasted super bland. I don’t know what it is. Even if I’d made pancakes, they wouldn’t have tasted like this.” 

“Then I expect that when your coffee is brewed correctly, it shall be the same.” Loki took a bite of his fish then, and as Tony started to eat, he was struck by a wave of home sickness. Not for his home on Earth, but for the familiarity of sharing a meal with Loki here, in this room. It was achingly familiar. 

Tony nudged Loki’s foot under the table. He tossed an annoyed look towards Tony. “That was deliberate.” 

“Yeah,” Tony said, kicking off the slipper so he could brush his toes against Loki’s ankle. The scandalized look on his face was priceless. “I wanted to touch you,” Tony explained. “I’m glad to be back.” 

Loki relaxed. He gave Tony a hesitant smile before he went back to eating. 

When Loki said that he wanted to bathe Tony before the dinner, Tony had expected it to lead to sexy times. Not Loki fastidiously cleaning him like a man possessed. “I can wash my own hair!” Tony exclaimed.

“Yes,” Loki drawled, his nails scrubbing a lather into Tony’s scalp in a vexingly nice way. “But you cannot see the top of your head.” 

“You cut my nails!” Tony complained. 

“Only because you would not allow Larkspur to cut them.” 

“I’m not having two people fussing over me. I’ve already washed. You’re just being a perfectionist.” 

“Hold still,” Loki answered, massaging a lather into Tony’s shoulders. He hated that it felt so good. “We’re almost done.” 

Thirty minutes later, Tony was finally toweling himself off. Loki was grinning at him, mischievous and pleased. “I shall spoil you after the dinner for being so patient,” Loki promised him. 

Tony glared at him, running the towel back and forth over his shoulders. “When’re you going to have time to get dressed if you’re spending all of it on me?” Loki had taken a bath earlier when Tony had been unpacking some of the things in his lab. He was only wearing a simple tunic and slacks now, though, and Tony knew better.

“Don’t fret. I’ll have the time,” Loki said, directing Tony to sit on a padded stool in front of a grand mirror. “I’ll be right back.” 

Loki returned from the closet with an armful of robes. He laid them across a chair. Tony dressed himself in a set of sheer gold undergarments, but he needed help with the robes. 

Loki had always been holding back before. It was obvious now. The first layer he dressed Tony in was an emerald green robe, tight fitted and lined with arcs of golden stitching. A lightweight layer of a semi sheer black robe was put on next, tied with a green ribbon before Loki moved on to fitting Tony in a robe that trailed several meters along the floor.

It was open at the collar, but the shoulders swept up almost like armor. The robe was mainly emerald, but it was accented with golden collars and edging. Black tree branches barren like in winter were embroidered along the train of the robe, then curled around his waist to make it appear smaller and his chest broader.

The robe was undoubtedly Loki’s colors. But it was obvious that Loki was not done. He set a pair of golden boots out for Tony to put on before asking Tony to carefully sit on the stool again. 

A soft paint brush pressed against Tony’s lips. They were partially colored dark green, but like Tony had bitten into an apple and stained himself with juice. Tony couldn’t put his finger on why it was sexy. It just was.

A smooth stipple brush followed, dusting Tony’s cheeks with gold. After a while, Tony stopped looking in the mirror and watched Loki instead. He was beautiful as he concentrated, studying every line he drew on Tony’s face, every brush that whispered across his skin. 

Vaguely, Tony was impressed that Loki could do all of this himself. It seemed like something he could’ve had someone else do. Tony was certain that the makeup Loki wore was put on by himself, too. Loki had clearly put time and care into developing the skill.

Loki moved on to painting the tips of Tony’s hair with gold. Even Tony’s precisely shaped beard was treated with gold. He tugged the collars of Tony’s robes open a bit more so that his chest was exposed. The pendant was still tucked down just low enough that only the chain poked out. Loki’s fingers had set against it for a moment before he’d left it alone under the fabric. Loki seemed to like it, and Tony wasn’t willing to part with it.

Loki’s eyes swept over him. Loki held out his hand to the side, then drew a crown from the air. Tony was stunned. It was a spiral of golden leaves and branches, not quite like Loki’s rather horned one, but undoubtedly in Loki’s style. 

Loki set it on Tony’s head, arranging strands of his hair through the branches. “Prince Loki,” Tony said, breaking the silence that had settled over them as Loki worked. “Isn’t this—a—crown?” He asked, unsure of how to be delicate about it. 

Loki nodded. “You are in my court, and if I wish for you to be adorned with such, then so it shall be.” 

Tony’s soft brown eyes found Loki’s. “What does it mean?” 

Loki leaned in a little closer. “It means,” he said, his voice laced with stern determination, “that you are to be treasured and respected in my court, not left to wander the halls in boredom.” 

Tony wasn’t sure what to say about the obvious jab at Thor. He wasn’t sure why his heart beat a little faster. Loki stood taller. 

He summoned and fixed a trailing, sheer gold cape over Tony’s shoulders, fixing it to arcing pins. Thousands of tiny stars were woven into the cape, catching the light. 

The entire ensemble made Tony look so much more fae-like than he’d ever thought possible. “Finally,” Loki said, setting his hands on Tony’s shoulders from behind, letting their eyes meet in the mirror. “I am going to dress you with a glamour tonight. It is tiring to maintain one on another, so do not come to expect it, but I think tonight warrants such a feat.” 

Warmth washed over Tony. He found himself breathless as he stared in the mirror.

He was himself, but also not himself. Tony had times that he felt good about the way he’d looked in the past, but nothing came close to this. Every feature on him stood out. He was stunning. Tony set a hand on the glass, trying to reconcile it. The man that stared back at him seemed supernatural. 

Loki smiled behind him. “I am going to dress.” His brow wrinkled. Loki leaned in beside Tony’s ear. “I see your worry that I may wish for you to always look this way, but I assure you this is not the case. This is rather like your suit.” 

Tony understood that. He smiled back at Loki in the mirror. Loki held his gaze for a moment before turning to go to his wardrobe. 

Loki returned a little while later. He was wearing his familiar crown of sweeping horn-like golden branches, but a robe in the same black, green, and gold color as Tony. His elegant robe was black where Tony’s was green, with a pattern of green leaves embroidered instead of branches. 

His look complimented Tony’s while still undoubtedly making Tony’s the focus of the two, but it still took his breath away. 

Tony liked that their capes matched. Tony had never been one for the matching thing, but he really liked it now. 

“Are you ready?” Loki asked. 

Tony nodded. “As ready for a dinner party at Thor’s as I can be.” 

Loki gave him an indulgent smile. “Let’s be going then.” 

Loki took his hand. Tony enjoyed the sensation for a moment before he found himself standing with Loki in the middle of a forest, surrounded by faces at an evening party.


	28. Chapter 28

The hand that had been holding Tony’s own let go, Loki’s arm wrapping around his shoulders. Tony’s heart skipped a few beats. Seeing Thor’s whole court again reminded Tony of the dreadful festival. 

Heads were just starting to turn towards them, and Loki took a step, squeezing Tony’s shoulder for a brief moment in encouragement. Tony began to walk.

Everyone was dressed up in colorful floral robes and dresses. His and Loki’s costumes were still grand, but they weren’t out of place. There were tables filled with pastries and wine glasses beneath towering trees. White orbs floated in the branches, and at a closer look, they were butterflies. The setting was different, but Tony knew a black tie event when he saw one.

It was surprisingly easy to slip into his old Stark persona. Tony cocked a grin he didn’t feel yet, surveying the crowd. 

Loki walked them past several couples, all of which turned to watch. When Tony glimpsed at them, their obvious desire surprised him. There was lust in the eyes they passed, whether they were human-like or shaped like an insect’s. The contrast struck Tony. Before, he hadn’t been desirable to them the same way he was now.

It stroked Tony’s ego, even as it alarmed him.

Loki’s head was held high, arrogance and delight both on his face. He paused, and Tony turned to see that the man he’d dubbed Lucius was approaching to greet them. 

“Prince Loki,” he said with a curt bow. His curiosity swiveled to Tony. “Is this the same mortal that was Prince Thor’s catch?” He asked with bated breath. 

“Indeed,” Loki practically preened, pulling Tony closer.

“You must forgive my surprise, Prince Loki,” he said, his gaze on Tony sweeping appreciatively downwards. “We had thought the mortal dead after the terrible ordeal with Princess Hela.” His gaze flicked back to the crown Tony wore, thoughtful. “My mind does puzzle over how he has returned, knowing that she took him.” 

Tony wanted to stick it to Lucius. He’d never really liked him. Tony decided in a heartbeat. He leaned against Loki, wrapping one arm around his waist as he stared sideways at Lucius. “Hela released me and I missed Prince Loki,” Tony said, emphasizing his name. “So I called him after I was sent back.” 

Tony couldn’t see Loki’s reaction, but his chest felt warmer against Tony’s cheek. Lucius’s thin eyebrows flicked upwards before he looked back to Loki. 

“I am certain that whispers have already reached your ears, Freylinia, of how he called for me from the mortal realm to return at my side.” Tony wanted to wrap up the prideful purr in Loki’s voice and hold it close.

He held his breath not to laugh. Lucius obviously didn’t know, but he was covering it up and acting like he did. “Of course, my Prince. It is not so common with mortals, these days, is it? But I do recall Periwinkle had one call for her not so long ago. I do remember seeing her at some of the dances.” 

“Prince Loki,” a woman said, slipping in beside Lucius. Her lilac colored hair caught the light over a white lace cobweb dress. “A good evening to you.” Loki nodded. She pushed her shoulder in front of Lucius. “Is this the human you brought here, from before?” 

“It is the human that was formerly Prince Thor’s catch,” Lucius told her, mildly irritated. She ignored him.

“Oh, how wonderful to see him again! And how very fortunate he is! He did pine after you, didn’t he, my prince?” She asked, bowing slightly. 

Tony glanced up to find Loki staring down at him. Tony gave him a slight knowing look before turning towards her. “I did,” Tony said. He’d never worked a room this way before, but he felt inspired. He stepped forward, settling his back against Loki’s chest and encouraging Loki to wrap his arms around him. “I finally get to spend time with him.” 

Her laughter rang out with a bell. “Oh!” She exclaimed, turning to speak directly to Tony. “You are delightful!” She blinked with a set of third white eyelids. “Would it please you to tell us of what you enjoy here?” 

“Well, Prince Loki, obviously,” Tony grinned. Several more people had gathered around. “And the food’s amazing.” Loki’s grip on him tightened minutely. Tony interpreted it as a warning. Maybe there was something he wasn’t supposed to give away. “Mostly Prince Loki.” 

“And our shining kingdom,” Loki said smoothly. “How he does marvel over it.” They all nodded as if that made perfect sense.

A fairy wearing a dress of rose petals lifted up onto their toes to speak. “Prince Loki,” they said with a bow. “Will you regale us with the story of his return?” 

“I would love nothing more,” Loki answered, drawing Tony in closer against his chest as he leaned his head to the side of Tony’s crown, delicately avoiding contact with it. “Yesterday evening I was in the midst of my work when I heard his voice cry out. One might imagine my surprise! We all do recall that among Princess Hela’s many offenses was the release of him, no?” 

Loki’s voice was laying it on thick. And, to Tony’s surprise, he was _enjoying_ it. The drama, the persona, it was all kind of _fun_. Tony couldn’t say that about working the room at other black tie events, even for the ones he’d enjoyed.

“The way he called my name—” Loki paused, and it got him the effect he was going for. There were several wistful, appreciative looks from the small crowd that had gathered. “I had no choice but to follow. When I arrived in his human abode it was dark and lonely. He was illuminated by only a small candle. I imagine he woke in the night.” 

Tony wanted to both roll his eyes and laugh. He hoped he wasn’t giving anything away. Loki’s version was ridiculous. He didn’t mind that Loki wasn’t telling them about the contract. He didn’t think that Loki would, for many different reasons. 

“The joy on his face upon seeing me—one may think themselves immune to a human’s charms, but I would be very wicked indeed to have denied him, when he called out to me.” The crowd was hanging on Loki’s every word. “He implored me to return to our realm, and as you can see for yourselves, I granted his wish.” 

The lack of suspicion or doubt on their faces surprised Tony. They seemed moved, and when they weren’t watching Loki speak, they were looking at Tony with desire. 

It was the first time that Tony had been eye candy. The rest of his life it had been the other way around with someone on his arm instead.

“He shall be beside me now, as he wishes,” Loki said. Tony smiled, learning back against him. 

“Prince Loki,” a woman with sunflowers in her hair exclaimed. “Your kindness is admirable.” 

“He is a wonder,” someone said behind her. “I do hope we shall be seeing him more.” 

“Yes, Prince Loki, if you find yourself in need of someone to care for him when you are otherwise engaged, I shall be happy to do so.” 

“And I—”

“—I imagine I will be quite able to look after him,” Loki answered. “I would hate to lay a burden upon any of you when I have so willingly taken it upon myself.” Tony pressed his lips together not to roll his eyes. 

“He is stunning, your highness.” 

“Yes, we shall enjoy his attendance.” 

“Will he be—” The voice faded into a whisper, the crowd quieting. They all looked up to see Thor approaching.

The crowd parted for him. Thor’s long golden hair was braided on one side, a large, circular crown of gold on his head. He wore red robes with golden patterns like bursts of sunlight. The most striking difference about him though was the golden shield over his left eye, and the scar that radiated from it. 

When Thor’s gaze set on him, Tony shrunk back against Loki.

The usual indifference that Thor cast on him was replaced by a hunger that made Tony grateful for Loki’s arms around him. 

“Brother!” Thor exclaimed like the sun bursting through a storm cloud. “How joyous a reunion is this. Please, allow me to borrow your ear for a moment. I do so wish to speak with you and Tony.” 

“Of course,” Loki said smoothly, letting go of a reluctant Tony. There were several excited whispers at the very genuine forlorn look Tony threw after Loki as he walked away to Thor. Loki grabbed Thor’s arm with his own, linking their elbows and leading him forward. 

“Go after him,” the woman with lilac hair told Tony, patting his shoulder. Tony hadn’t realized he’d stopped. He knew Loki wouldn’t let him go back to living at Thor’s. He absolutely knew it. That hadn’t stopped him from dreading it for a moment. 

Loki glanced back over his shoulder pointedly at Tony. The train of Tony’s robes fluttered after him as he hurried to catch up. 

Loki and Thor led away into the woods, beneath a spindling solitary tree with dozens of the butterfly lights hovering in the branches. Tony stood several feet away from them. Loki and Thor were locked in wordless conversation when Tony caught up, but Loki paused then and gestured towards the ground. A mushroom sprang up, the size of a small chair. “Do sit,” Loki gently told Tony.

Thor leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms. No one else seemed to be around, even though the party they’d come from was only a few meters away. 

“I thought that we were going to introduce him officially,” Thor said. 

“Can I help it if the people stop me on my way to greet you? I would be rude to turn them away. They are only curious.” Loki smiled sweetly at him, standing between his brother and Tony. “We will introduce him officially as soon as we return.” 

Thor seemed a little bit on edge, as though he was expecting Loki to spring something on him. “I have never introduced a mortal before this. It is strange. Usually there is no need.” 

Loki’s gaze narrowed. “We agreed it was for the best. There has been so much attention on him that it is simplest to address the matter swiftly than allow rumors to fly. Many of them thought him to be dead.” 

“You want them to know he is in your court,” Thor said. It seemed petty, and if Tony was annoyed by it, Loki had to be far more so.

“Can you find fault in that?” Loki asked. 

Thor was quiet for a moment. “No,” he said finally. He wasn’t letting go, though. “His appearance has changed.” 

“Of course it’s changed,” Loki said with the same tone you’d call someone an idiot in. “Surely you recognize the glamour upon him.” 

Thor blinked. “Does that not tire you?” 

Loki shrugged. “I am free to use my magic as I please.” 

“You have always been exceptionally gifted with the magical arts,” Thor commented. He turned his attention back towards Tony. “You have been all that my brother has cared to talk about since you called upon him.” 

“Thor,” Loki hissed, stepping in closer. 

Thor wasn’t cowed. He smiled at Loki, provoking him. “I will miss your bloodlust at our next battle without rightful revenge upon your mind. I fear I miss your council already.” 

Loki relaxed, drawing his hands together as his voice lost its sharp edge. “You fear the loss of my council at his return, but there is no need. I remember how you fought our last battle.” It was Thor’s turn to look surprised. “If I may take the liberty of assuming that you shall fight as fiercely on my behalf again, it will not pain me to offer you council.” 

“You may,” Thor said slowly. 

“Very well,” Loki said. It was simple, but Tony could read him well enough now that he could tell he was pleased.

They were having a moment. Tony wanted to say so, but he didn’t feel comfortable around Thor. He wasn’t sure that he ever would. 

Loki swept his arm in the direction of the party. “Shall we introduce him now, then?” 

“Yes,” Thor said, with more enthusiasm than he’d had all evening. They linked elbows again, but this time Loki held out his hand for Tony to rise from the makeshift chair. 

Loki gently squeezed his hand before letting go. “You will walk behind us,” Loki said. “And stand still when we part.” 

“Got it.” 

Thor glanced at him, then back to Loki. They began to walk. 

This time when they entered the party, the grass glowed with light in a winding path that seemed to be just for Thor and Loki. They followed it, Tony a few paces behind. Everyone was watching. There were some whispers, but Tony couldn’t make any of them out. Slowly, the path gave way to a half moon shape in a clearing. 

When Tony stepped in behind the princes, the path through the woods vanished. The crowd moved forward in front of them. For a moment, Tony was glad he was hidden behind Thor and Loki. 

“I have a brief announcement to make,” Thor said, his voice ringing out through the clearing. “Most of you are familiar with the human my brother brought into our world, and who was my catch and until recently in my retinue. My sister had released him to the human realm. He has chosen to return here to join my brother.” Thor turned to Loki.

Loki’s voice filled the clearing with bravado. “He may be the first human to hold both our favor. We wished for you to understand his reappearance.” 

Loki took a step to the side and Thor followed, leaving Tony between them, staring back at the crowd. The light sparkled upon his crown and down his cape.

Tony couldn’t tell how the crowd was reacting, but Loki’s message had been clear. Upsetting Tony meant upsetting both princes. Tony was grateful for the declaration, but he had the feeling that part of it was Loki making a point towards a court that had never favored him. 

“That is all,” Thor said. The light vanished beneath them.

Loki turned to Tony, extending out his hand. Tony took it, not understanding the rise in chatter from the crowd. His back was drawn against Loki’s chest. “I am going to get us something to eat,” Loki told Thor over his head. “I am sure that Tony is famished.” 

Tony didn’t see Thor react. Loki was already leading him away with a hand at his waist while Loki brushed his own hair back over his shoulder with the other. “Did that go well?” Tony asked. 

“Splendidly,” Loki answered in smug contentment. Curious eyes were following them, and already a few people were approaching, but Loki delicately lead Tony in such a way that their paths didn’t meet. “It would please me if you would follow my lead on what to say of our realm. I will give you hints, but there are things that they are expecting you to say.” 

“Whatever you want, Prince Loki. This is your show to run.” 

Loki seemed genuinely surprised and pleased by that. “I will put together a plate of food for you. Be mindful not to take from the table. It is not expected of humans. You are not obligated to eat anything you do not care for.” 

“Is it rude if I put my own plate together?” 

“It is a punishable offense to say the least.” Loki guided Tony to sit in an open chair. He leaned forwards, brushing his finger through the gold dust on Tony’s cheekbones. “If I hand you the plate, I am providing it to you to eat. If you take the plate, you are taking without invitation, no matter whose court you are in.” 

Loki had promised to teach him the rules. That didn’t make it any more fun. “Can you get me some of the purple cakes?” 

“With the lilies on them or the petunias?” 

“Lilies.” 

Loki nodded, then turned to the table. No one approached as he put the plate together, but as soon as he was setting the heaping plate in Tony’s lap, a small crowd was there. 

Loki took the seat beside Tony, answering their questions with charm and grace. After a while Tony started chiming in. Loki was right, they expected him to be full of praise for the kingdom, but they were also just curious. Loki worked it like a pro.

Loki also soaked up the attention like a dry sponge. A few times Tony caught snippets of conversations in the background, not meant for them. He knew that if he could hear them, Loki definitely could.

“He’s a gorgeous little human, isn’t he? Prince Thor must be furious with _her_ for releasing him.” 

“I do hope Prince Loki will be bringing him to more parties.” 

“Well, I am glad that he returned to Prince Loki. He does have a wonderful flair, doesn’t he? I don’t recall seeing this human at all during the festivities.” 

Tony lost track of time, though that wasn’t a surprise here. Eventually he found himself starting to drift off to sleep in exhaustion, and woke slumped in the chair with his head in Loki’s lap. Loki was still chatting away with delight. 

Tony woke up again when he was being carried. He yawned, recognizing their bedroom. Loki smiled at him, and his vivid green eyes were so alive, so incredibly, unbelievably pleased, that Tony didn’t know how to react. “Good party, huh?” He asked. 

“This may easily be the happiest night of my life,” Loki answered, so casually that Tony found the statement a little sad. Loki laid him down on the bed. He drew the crown from where it was tangled in Tony’s hair, vanishing it away as he did. 

Loki crawled in over him, eyes still dancing with delight, and bent down to kiss him. As warm lips softly brushed his, Tony let out an eager moan. “Please Prince Loki,” Tony mumbled, grabbing his robes. He leaned up off the bed to draw them closer together, his tongue slipping into Loki’s mouth.

The kiss he got back made Tony’s toes curl. He groaned in protest when Loki pulled back, his hair falling against Tony’s chest as he stared down at him. “You are gorgeous,” Loki said, reaching into his robes. His slender fingers curled around Tony’s cock. He was already half hard just from that little bit of physical attention he’d so desperately craved. 

“Are you,” Tony gasped, arching off the bed and into his hand, “going to take these robes off?” 

Loki bent down and kissed him again. Tony forgot what he’d meant to say. He grasped Loki’s robes, eager to keep him there. Loki’s tongue was so playful, and it was like Tony kept trying to catch up, only for Loki to cheerfully elude him again. He was panting when Loki pulled away, his lips slicked. 

Loki stroked the length of him in one firm tug and Tony groaned, desperate for more. “Come closer.” 

Loki looked down into his eyes. “I like to watch you when you come,” he said simply. 

Tony stared up at him, dark brown eyes soulful, his painted hair sticking out in odd angles from the twisted blankets from where Loki had him on his back. How was it that Loki could make him feel like he was the center of the world so easily? Loki began stroking him again, gaze not leaving Tony’s. Tony heard the moan falling from his lips, but he barely registered it. 

His world shuttered down to nothing but Loki’s eyes and the tight heat bottling up in his cock. Loki’s crown glittered above as his pupils grew wider, intently watching. Tony could do nothing but grasp the sheets and pant, a sheen of sweat on his brow. He was pinned in Loki’s gaze, on the edge of pleasure, and he loved it. Loki’s grip became more insistent, until Tony came wordlessly, mouth open. 

Tony blinked, a tear falling from his face. He shivered when Loki bent forward, his lips tracing the path it left. Loki sat back, nose wrinkling. “What?” Tony breathed out.

Loki smiled slightly. “In truth, I find pain more appetizing. Bliss is an acquired taste.” 

“Oh.” Tony blinked.

Loki grinned, brushing his fingers through Tony’s hair. “I do not mind acquiring it.” 

Tony licked his lips. “Would you mind, uh—next time, maybe something more than your hand?” 

Loki laughed. “I know what you want.” Loki’s crown vanished as he laid down onto the bed beside him, pulling Tony against him and tucking Tony’s head under his chin. “I imagine it will be quite overwhelming for you.” Loki sounded happy, lighthearted even.

Tony sighed, melting in against him. Already, he wanted to drift off to sleep again. “Don’t be so sure.” 

Loki chuckled, burying his nose in Tony’s hair. “But look at how you react to just my hand,” he teased. 

“Wait until you see what I can do with my mouth,” Tony shot back. Sleep was tugging at him, but he shuffled so that he could see Loki’s face when curiosity struck. Loki raised an eyebrow. “_Do_ you like that? I mean, I know you like tears, but.” 

The smile didn’t leave Loki’s face as he looked away, thoughtful. “Yes,” he said. “I do.” He rolled his head back on the bed towards Tony. “But in truth, I do not crave it the same way those here do.” Loki sighed, but it sounded more wistful that anything else. “For me, tears are a delicacy, and I cannot deny that my kind takes a fair share of pleasure from the—less savory things, I suppose.” 

Loki closed his eyes for a moment as if he was going to fall asleep, the smile still on his lips. He moved so that he could tuck Tony under his chin again, arms surrounding him. “But I do not say such to scare you. I will not let misery and unhappiness have you.” 

“I know,” Tony said. He set one hand over Loki’s hold on him, his eyes falling shut. He trusted Loki with that. “But—what do you mean, less savory things?” 

“Oh, a bit of mischief, some trouble. Things that my brother and his people have never smiled upon in quite the same way.” Loki flexed his fingers in their grip on Tony’s side. “I am still fond of pranks.” Loki nosed against his hair again. “And I imagine that I will recruit your aid in some of them.” 

“Will that entail Thor kicking my ass when he finds out?” 

“No,” Loki said warmly. He rubbed his chin against Tony like a content cat. “I think I should like to dress you tomorrow as well.” 

“Maybe without the makeup,” Tony said, holding back a yawn.

“We shall see.” 

Tony had meant to say something clever back. He really had, but it was just that with Loki’s arms around him and the high of his orgasm, he happily drifted off to sleep instead.


	29. Chapter 29

As Tony woke up, it took him a moment to place where he was. 

Once he remembered, he was startled by how relieved, how at home he felt. He reached out and brushed his fingertips over the star pillow that was beside him. A slow smile spread across his face. Tony rolled over on his stomach, looking for Loki.

The bed was empty. Tony wasn’t exactly surprised. He sat up, then crawled to the edge of the canopy to peek his head out, expecting to find Loki on the sofa like before. 

He wasn’t there. In fact, Tony didn’t see him anywhere, but he didn’t worry. The bathroom door was open. Tony was careful not to stumble over his robes as he climbed out of the bed. He was slightly surprised that Loki had left him in them.

Tony tugged at one of the ties as he walked into the bathroom. 

Immediately, he looked for the mirror. He was a little disappointed to see that the glamour was gone. It was all him looking back in the mirror, but he looked—refreshed. A little younger maybe, only because he didn’t have bags under his eyes for once. His eyes were a little brighter. 

The glitter and makeup smeared across his face and coating his hair was another story. He needed a bath. 

Tony started with the next tie on his robe. It came off easily enough, but soon he was fighting with dozens of knots and layer after infuriating layer. He felt triumphant when he threw the final piece on the floor at last. 

He padded over to the far corner of the room, where steam rose from a pool. The water was dark in the black stone, and the bottom was uneven. Crystals grew up along the corners, some glowing. Tony had figured it was some sort of hot spring. 

It felt heavenly. The warmth wrapped around him. For a while Tony just soaked it in. Then he went to work, sampling the assortment of glass bottles set beside the pool until he decided on what would work best for scrubbing off the makeup.

Golden glitter winked back at him on the surface of the water. It drifted in the current, and Tony sighed as it never seemed to end. His hair was drenched with it.

Eventually, Tony figured he’d done the best that he could. He wrapped himself in a towel and laid his robes in the basket from before. He knew Loki would probably appreciate if they were folded at least, but he couldn’t get them to look any nicer than small bundles. 

One glance in the mirror showed that he had missed some glitter, but he figured it was good enough.

Tony dressed himself in sneakers, a pair of jeans, and one of his favorite t-shirts. 

Wandering through the caves wasn’t as difficult for him as Loki had seemed to think. It was just a little lonely, or eerie, without Loki there beside him. Tony figured that Loki would either be in his favorite room, or off on some errand with Thor.

Tony hoped that Loki was in his favorite room. He was hungry, and that room meant breakfast.

When he arrived at the grand doors to Loki’s rooms, he expected them to be impossibly heavy, but they were feather light as he pushed them outwards. A pang of longing hit Tony as he entered the familiar hallway and saw the familiar void at the end.

He hurried down the hall. With more than a little trepidation, Tony turned his back, disorienting himself enough to walk backwards through the void. 

Tony was still smiling in triumph when he turned around in Loki’s favorite room.

The prince himself was there, sipping a cup of tea at the table, smirking over it with prideful delight in his eyes at Tony. 

“You started breakfast without me,” Tony playfully accused. 

Loki set his teacup down. “How was I to know you would awake early? And you have bathed yourself as well! At this rate, you’ll already need to sleep again, you darling mortal.” 

“And here I am, questioning whether you ever sleep,” Tony retorted. Loki smiled as if to say it was a mystery. Tony sat down in his chair across from him. 

“Do try this,” Loki said excitedly, reaching towards the tray.

He set a new attempt at coffee in front of Tony. His eyes were dancing with delight. Tony wasn’t sure why such a simple thing effected Loki so much, but he wasn’t complaining. 

Tony took a sip. He wanted to force a smile and say it was good, but it was so bitter that his eyes watered. “It’s no good,” Loki said for him, furious at the coffee itself.

“It’s super concentrated,” Tony said. He wasn’t sure how that mistake had even happened. “I have a coffee machine that can make it. Why don’t you just let me find a way to set it up in here—”

“—Nonsense. We will find a way to make this correctly for you.” Loki took the mug from his hand, setting it on the tray and setting out the new teacup that appeared in its place. “Anyway,” Loki said, taking the fresh plate of pastries that appeared and setting them out for Tony, “I am pleased that you are awake.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yes. I intend to give you what you have been craving, and I must attend an afternoon ride to consult with my brother. This gives us more time.” 

Tony snorted out a laugh into his tea. Loki’s eyebrows tilted upwards curiously. “Don’t make an attempt to woo me or anything,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. “So glad you could pencil some sex in.” 

Loki tilted his head, his eyes lolling in the motion as a smile spread across his lips. “Oh? And here I thought you would be delighted to at last be ravished by me.” Loki set his chin on his hand. “But he wishes to be _courted_ first. Have I not courted him already?”

Tony folded his arms across his chest, more amused than he’d show by Loki’s ridiculousness. “Shouldn’t you be delighted to at last get some of this hot piece of ass, hmm?” Tony cocked a grin that was genuinely proud. An idea hit him. “Or if you’re not interested, I could go sashay around the court, or Prince Thor?” 

Loki’s eyes flicked towards him. It was too easy. 

Tony’s eyes were bright. Loki studied him for a moment before it seemed to dawn on him that Tony knew he was playing him. He let go of his chin, sitting back in his chair. “Tony,” he cooed. “Would you be satisfied with my brother? Truly? Do tell me in absolute detail exactly what you would like so that I may convey your wishes to him. I am most curious.” 

Tony scoffed. “Maybe I like surprises,” Tony said, playing along. “I doubt he’d have to pencil me in.” 

“Such a peculiar phrase,” Loki complained. “But I do believe I understand the meaning, you petulant thing.” Loki reached for his own tea, taking a long sip. 

Tony had completely lost interest in his breakfast. He didn’t want the teasing to stop, no matter how brief of a pause it was. “Maybe you could tell me what you’d do instead of him?” 

Loki glanced up, still drinking his tea. His thoughts were dancing, but Tony had no idea what they were. 

“Or I could start thinking about what Prince Thor would do,” Tony sighed, laying it on extra thick. Maybe he was picking up some of Loki’s dramatics. Then again, maybe they were his own.

“This is the opposite of wooing,” Loki remarked. He set down his tea. “In fact, now that I am reminded of my dear brother, I am finding myself put off from the idea entirely. Perhaps next week we may find the time—”

“—No wooing then,” Tony compromised, believing Loki would follow through. “I’ll take my shirt off right here,” he said, only half sarcastic. 

Loki’s sharp, almost dark grin caught Tony off guard. For a brief moment, he felt like a mouse trapped inside a jar. “Did you not wish to be wooed?” Loki asked, the light catching on the silver pin he wore in his hair.

Tony huffed. “I just meant something with a little more feeling in it than a hey, it’s convenient you’re up so we can do that sex you wanted.” Tony leaned back in his chair, brushing at a spare bit of glitter on his arm. 

“I did not mean it as callously as you make it out to be,” Loki said, somewhere between pouting and insulted. “I was genuinely pleased to find us with more time, fleeting as it is.” 

“Ok,” Tony said. “Just next time, maybe try throwing a few rose petals on the bed, or lighting some candles or something.” 

“If it would please you, Tony, but my idea of wooing is quite different.” He laced his fingers together, setting his chin on them. “Would you care to play a little game first?” 

“Is that your idea of wooing?” 

“Yes.” 

Tony pursed his lips. He was incredibly curious, but rightfully suspicious. “Putting aside that I asked you to woo _me_, what would the game be?” 

“I will throw a few rose petals on the bed,” Loki loftily promised. “But the game I wish to play is this—It is a race. If you can make it to our bedroom before I do, then you may name one thing you wish to do. If I catch you before you make it there, then you must allow me to have one of your tears.” 

“It depends,” Tony allowed. “I have a few questions.” Loki nodded. “Would you not be allowed to teleport? It’s too easy for you to win that way.” 

“I would not teleport for our game.”

“I don’t feel wrong assuming that you can run faster than me. I want a head start.” 

Loki glanced to the side. “I’ll give you a fifteen second start, and we shall both start from this table.” 

Tony turned to see what Loki had glanced at. It seemed like he’d been looking at the door. “And the door has to work for me. You can’t make it so that it doesn’t go to the hall anymore.” 

“The door will remain unchanged,” Loki said. “I will not prevent you from going through it.” He frowned. “In fact, I will allow you an extra five seconds for that charming way you have of moving through it.” 

“Twenty.” 

“Zero for rudely rejecting my generosity in your greed.” 

“Fifteen.” 

“Zero.” 

Loki said it with such finality that Tony was reminded of other times that Loki had rattled off his so called reasons for punishment. “Fine,” Tony agreed. “Zero, but the original fifteen stay.” 

Truthfully, Tony thought that Loki was letting him off easy. The tear wasn’t much of a wager. Loki had already had those, and he didn’t need a game to get them. Tony reasoned that meant that Loki really did want the game to play the game, and he wanted Tony to play it too. Tony knew he’d be getting laid at the end of it either way, so he didn’t mind playing. It’d be fun. But he was learning to look more carefully at Loki’s bargains.

“And another thing,” Tony said. “You said I may name one thing, but you didn’t say you’d do it.” 

Loki’s grin was almost maniacal. “Very good,” he praised. Tony loved the feeling of Loki’s pride for him so much it embarrassed him.

“I want it to be that I can name one thing and you’ll do it, and if you don’t like what I named, you’ll let me pick something else until we find something we both agree on.” 

“I agree.” Loki held Tony’s gaze for a moment. He was calm, and gorgeous, and Tony couldn’t wait for the game to start. “Do you have any other terms?” 

“I think I’m good.” 

“Would you care to finish your breakfast, or do you wish to start now?”

“Now,” Tony said. Loki answered with a smile that said he’d known that answer all along. 

“Ready yourself,” Loki said, reaching for his tea.

Tony stood. His heart began to pound in excitement.

“Fifteen seconds starts now.” 

Tony took off across the room, running around the couches and coffee table, sidestepping a potted plant.

He jumped over a book on the floor. 

It was exhilarating.

He spun around, his back to the door. Loki was eating his breakfast, his ear trained on Tony. Closing his eyes, Tony began to walk backwards, hoping to miss the door. 

He smacked into a bookshelf. 

Several jars clattered on the ground, rolling in different directions. 

Tony took a deep breath, then tried again. 

Cold washed over him as he fell back through the doorway. 

Tony spun around with a wide smile as he entered the hall. He took one large, striding leap forwards, feeling his wrist fly back in the motion. 

As Tony turned backwards to look, his ankle was jerked back by the same motion. He looked down. A thick black ribbon had curled around both wrists now, his ankles, yanking him back like a fish on a line.

“Fuck!” He yelled as he soared back through the air, seething at Loki who was standing up from the table with a leisurely air, holding his arms out with bravado and a handful of ribbon in each. Tony’s back slammed into his chest.

“That’s cheating!” Tony exclaimed, struggling in Loki’s grip.

Loki’s arms curled around Tony as he buried his cold nose in the crook of Tony’s neck. “Ah,” he sighed, way too pleased with himself. “But it is not. You laid down your terms, and using _these_,” Loki said, the ribbons playfully constricting, “was not forbidden.” 

“Next time I’m banning you from using any magic,” Tony grumbled, annoyed at the prickle of arousal at being so easily manhandled.

“Don’t be cross because you lost,” Loki chided him. “Besides, isn’t it lovely that my magic can do this?” 

At once, the room went dark, only for the mushrooms to glow and dozens of lit pillar candles to appear, scattered across the room on bookshelves and from candelabras. They weren’t what impressed Tony though. 

It was the thousands of blackish purple rose petals that covered the floor, and the white mattress and dozens of white pillows circling it that impressed Tony. He let out a sound he wanted to breathe back in. 

Loki let out a deep, amused chuckle. “I see you like your rose petals. And I like this room, don’t you? It almost has a sense of poetry to it, me taking you in this room at last, instead of you absconding away with one of my poor pillows in frustration.” 

“You—remember that?” Tony stuttered, cheeks flaring with heat.

“Yes. You ruined one of my favorite pillows.” 

“You could’ve magicked the stain away,” Tony mumbled, certain that every inch of him was bright red. He wasn’t usually one to be embarrassed, but he cared what Loki thought.

Loki didn’t really seem to care, though. He was too busy running his nose along Tony’s neck, breathing in so fervently that Tony had that mouse-like feeling again. “I did,” Loki assured him, squeezing Tony against him. The ribbons dropped away. Loki walked him over to the mattress, dropping Tony. 

Tony rolled over onto his back, mostly on instinct. He was breathless the next moment.

Loki stood at the edge of the mattress, staring down at Tony with candlelight flickering in his eyes, entirely nude except for the crescent pin in his hair.

Tony swallowed. Suddenly his throat was dry. 

There was always something supernatural about Loki, but now it was so acute that Tony had a difficult time believing he was real.

He was unnervingly perfect. Loki’s lithe, sculpted figure looked more like a marble statue come to life than a living, breathing person, and his pale skin in the glow of the room only added to the effect. The smile Loki looked down on him with though was like a live wire, full of life, impossibly pleased. 

Tony drew in a shaky breath. It was one thing to dream about someone so beautiful, and another to see it in its entirety. Tony wanted to explore every inch of him. His pants were already uncomfortably tight. He couldn’t fumble with the zipper though. It was enough of a reminder to breathe. As gorgeous as Loki was, he also made Tony feel hopelessly human. 

Because what did he see in Tony, really? Tony was older, obviously aging, and there was nothing fae-like about him. He wasn’t so gorgeous that Loki would question reality the way he was. 

Loki leaned forward, running his fingers through Tony’s hair. Tony’s head easily swayed in the motion. Loki’s thumb brushed through his wrinkled brow. “I see you are enraptured, Tony, but I wish you would tell me if my conjecture about what causes this is correct.” 

“Your—what?” 

Loki sighed, dropping down with his knees on either side of Tony. When he pushed at Tony’s shoulders, he went down like a sack of potatoes. Loki kept his hands on Tony’s shoulders, his weight creating a slight pressure. “Your sudden sadness.” 

Tony blinked. Normally he’d brush it off, or make a joke, but he was so stunned that he found the words dropping out of his mouth without resistance. “It’s just—you’re you, and I’m—me. I’m—human,” Tony tried explaining, shaky.

Loki laughed, the air in the room lightening as he did. “Of course you’re human,” he answered. “Well, as much as you can be, having stayed here.” Warmth tingled over Tony’s skin, cold air greeting his skin where he was now bare. The skin on skin feeling of Loki’s knees against his sides made Tony shiver. Loki had left the pendant on. 

He traced one finger over the chain, smiling as he did. “And what a wonderful human you are.” 

A quiet, gentle warmth spread through his chest. Loki had really meant that. He wasn’t faking the way he held Tony, or the affection in his gaze. 

Loki’s long black hair was spilled down his back, a lock falling down his side and curling against Tony’s chest. “Now,” Loki said, his hand returning to Tony’s shoulder. “I want you to return to reminding me what a _hot piece of ass_ you are.” Tony smiled a little. “Have I not wooed you sufficiently?” 

“I mean, you did do what I asked,” Tony said, relaxing into the mattress. “I probably should’ve asked for more.” 

Loki made a tsking sound. “I cannot decide whether I find that greedy or flattering,” he confessed. 

“Flattering,” Tony said. “You should find it flattering.” 

“Well if you’re going to tell me how I should feel about it, I find it considerably less so.” 

Tony set one shaky hand on Loki’s waist. Disbelief washed through him all over again. Had he made other people feel this same disbelief and awe for bedding a celebrity? He’d recognized it in people. It was hard to miss. But he didn’t think he was putting the gloss over Loki like that. And anyway, those people had been half in their own heads the whole time, and Tony didn’t want to be like that for Loki. 

Tony smiled at Loki’s teasing, staring up at him with a depth of adoration he hadn’t known he’d had. He brushed his thumb over Loki’s skin, enjoying the faint line of goosebumps that followed. “Well,” Tony said, “I’ve been sufficiently wooed.” He grinned, his hair twisting on the white sheet as he moved his head to the side. “So maybe we can finally get around to fucking?” 

“In regards to that,” Loki said. He paused. “Must you always be so crass?” He complained for a moment, wrinkling his nose. “I find I do not hold much of a preference, but I understand it means the world to some. Do you hold a preference?” 

Tony’s mind went blank for a moment at the simple thought of burying himself inside Loki. He’d just assumed that Loki would prefer otherwise. But when Tony looked up at him, it wasn’t what he wanted just then. “I like both,” Tony said. “And I want both. But today, I think I’d really like to feel you in me.” 

“Very well, but do let me get at least more than one thrust in before you come. I do hate for the fun to be spoiled before it starts.” 

“That’s a lot of talk coming from a guy that’s not even hard yet,” Tony said, squeezing his waist. “You’re going to go first.” 

“Don’t be so sure,” Loki said, so wonderfully smug about it that a thrill snuck through Tony. 

Loki’s hair fell over his shoulder as he reached to the side, grabbing one of the many pillows there. His movements were always fluid and graceful, but Tony was still wrapping his head around seeing him nude.

Loki lifted Tony’s hips as though he weighed nothing, easily sliding a pillow beneath and pushing one of Tony’s legs aside. Tony gasped. “It’s been a while, so—”

“—Oh? Has it?” Loki asked, mirth in his eyes. 

Tony frowned, pursing his lips slightly. “Yeah.” A question was hidden in the word.

“Oh, Tony,” Loki purred, his slender fingers cupping Tony’s knees, sliding down his thighs. “And why would that be? I thought all humans were constantly making an effort to reproduce, being a species that is so close to death. Is it because you were thinking of me and finding others lacking, perhaps?” 

“First up, that’s definitively not true about humans,” Tony said, blushing. It wasn’t fair for Loki to talk to him like this while casually spreading his legs. “Secondly, it’s not all about you, shockingly.” 

“Shockingly indeed,” Loki agreed, leaning forward and catching Tony’s lips with his own. He sighed against Tony’s mouth as if he’d been longing for it all day. Tony grasped his shoulders, hooking a leg around Loki to draw him closer. 

Loki laughed, the gorgeous sound muffled against his lips making Tony’s head spin. He loved when Loki sounded pleased, especially with him. Loki’s tongue teased against his own. His hands wandered down Loki’s smooth skin, the faint warmth against his burning hot fingertips. 

Tony wasn’t expecting the wet heat that suddenly circled his rim, or the ease with which Loki’s finger dipped into the tight heat of him. Tony clenched reflexively. He hadn’t lied. The intrusion was unexpected and almost overwhelming after so long, and it didn’t help that he’d wanted Loki so badly either. 

Loki’s lips smacked as he pulled away. His eyes were unnaturally green again, but proud and addictively fond. “You are so lovely when you look like that,” Loki said.

“Like what?” Tony asked, distracted by the second finger that dipped inside so easily that it was unfair. 

He shivered as Loki’s fingers turned inside of him. “When your eyes are soft. Has anyone told you how doe-like they can be?” Loki smirked. “It’s surprising, for a stubborn creature.” 

“Jerk,” Tony huffed, Loki leaning some weight on his knee and drawing him open as his third finger slipped in. “How,” Tony said, tilting his head to the side, “are you—ah—doing that so easily?” 

“I am accelerating the process a bit with magic. On that note, I could also do it without the preparation entirely and still spare you, but I think that would be too much for you the first time.” 

“How—” Tony blinked up at Loki. The candlelight eased the smugness on his face and emphasized the fondness he looked at Tony with instead. “Generous,” Tony finished his quip, grasping the sheet beside himself. “But maybe stop talking about it and get going.” 

Loki’s hand paused. He raised an eyebrow. Then a slow grin spread across his face. “Oh? Are you telling your prince what to do?” 

“Technically, are you my prince? I’m a foreigner here.” Tony’s leg shook. Loki smelled like juniper and a warm, spicy sort of tea that would be at home on a winter morning. Tony wasn’t sure where that thought came from.

“I am very much your prince,” Loki gloated, bending forward and stealing a kiss, nipping Tony’s lip as he pulled away. “Now hold still.” 

“Like I haven’t been, ah—” Tony gasped as the head of Loki’s cock pressed against the rim. Despite Loki’s attention, there was still a slight stretch, and Loki was teasing with the pressure. “Prince Loki,” Tony practically whined, fingers straining as he grasped the sheets too hard. 

“That’s better,” Loki muttered, slowly sinking into him. It was a slow burn for Tony, who reached for Loki instead, wrapping his arms around him as Loki bottomed out. Tony fervently kissed him. Loki flooded his senses, whispering something unintelligible against Tony’s ear, taking the soft skin between his teeth before rolling his hips. 

Tony’s spine bowed as he pushed himself closer, eager for friction against his cock as it was trapped between them. Loki’s skin was cooler, but Tony was burning up. “Hold still,” Loki said. He drew back, Tony making a sound of protest.

The weight of Loki’s whole body shifted against Tony as he sank into him, Loki’s grip possessive on him, Loki’s keen eyes trained on him in the flickering light. Tony moaned, mouth open wide.

He wasn’t prepared for the power that followed. Loki’s grip on him was the only thing that kept him anchored as Loki set a stronger rhythm. Loki would withdraw slowly, Tony panting and impatient, only to have him keening a moment later. 

Sweat rolled down Tony’s brow. He was trying desperately not to come too soon, even though it seemed like every cell in his body was crying for it. 

Loki set his hand in the center of Tony’s chest, holding still for a moment. “I wish we’d done this sooner, so I could’ve enjoyed the way you look like this earlier.” 

Tony didn’t know what to say. He was flushed, breathing hard, easily manhandled by a prince that didn’t look even half as exerted, but still incredibly thrilled, almost covetous. “But there is plenty of time,” Loki said, spreading Tony’s legs a little wider, changing the angle. He reached for Tony’s hand.

Tony’s fingers were stiff at first, but Loki circled his thumb in the center of Tony’s palm, soothing him. He guided Tony’s hand to his cock. “Come for me, you precious thing.” Loki’s hands set on Tony’s hips again. Tony slowly stroked himself, lost in the way Loki was enraptured with him. 

It really only took the way Loki looked at him and the faintest grip on his cock for Tony to come, plunging into his release so hard that he came back to blinking stars from his eyes, vaguely aware that Loki was now pressed against his chest, fingers in his hair. 

Tony’s mind was syrupy. He moaned as he pushed his head closer to Loki’s fingers, closing his eyes. Loki’s other hand grazed along his side. Tony felt a pair of fingers wedge beneath him and thought nothing of it until a firm, painful pinch had him flinching and pressing up against Loki. The prince’s laugh shook against him. His lips pressed to the tear he’d drawn from Tony, and Tony was shocked by how comforting that felt to him now.

Loki pulled them onto their sides, wrapping his arms around Tony and burying his nose against his neck. Tony wanted to drift off. He felt himself pulled towards it, dimly thinking about how Loki had been right about him being overwhelmed and everything, and that it was probably better not to mention it and let the prince gloat. 

Instead, Tony laced one of his hands in Loki’s, squeezing it before letting it settle over his chest. “Rest, Tony,” Loki whispered. Tony sank into sleep fast, barely registering Loki’s lips against his cheek as he pulled away, or the way Loki transported him back to their bedroom, laying him down and drawing the blankets over him.


	30. Chapter 30

Loki never failed to be exactly on time to pick him up when Tony visited his own realm. Tony knew it was Loki’s unacknowledged anxiety over Tony aging while he was away from the fairy realm. He always showed up at the precise second they had agreed on. 

“Let’s go home,” Tony said, taking his hand. His former penthouse faded away, replaced by Loki's favorite room. There was a cup of tea on the table, steam still rising, and a book laid open. Tony let go of Loki’s hand and started towards the door.

“What troubles you?” Tony didn't turn around. Loki frowned, but didn’t take a step forward. Loki had let his hair grow long, and it almost reached the floor now days. “Did your friend Rhodes not like the gift?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Only you would think that,” Tony mumbled, then forced his voice louder. “He fucking loved it.” Of course he did. While it technically wasn’t contraband from the fairy realm, it skirted pretty close to it. “I’m tired. I’m just going to go take a shower. We’ve got that party tonight and I’m going to get a few hours of sleep in before it starts.” 

Loki watched in silence as Tony walked effortlessly through the door.

Usually, Tony let Loki pick out his outfit and put on his makeup. It seemed to give Loki some sort of deep satisfaction, which Tony enjoyed seeing. Tonight, though, Tony was already dressed and applying his makeup when Loki came into their bedroom.

Loki’s reflection paused in the mirror, turning his head towards Tony. 

Tony’s brush didn’t stop, and he didn’t acknowledge Loki. The prince walked towards him with slow steps, his robes drawn out behind him. 

He stood beside Tony. Loki’s cool fingers trailed up Tony’s neck before Loki’s thumb slid over his chin. Tony surprised himself at how easily he allowed his head to be moved, Loki tilting Tony’s head up towards him. He slipped the brush from Tony’s grip, swiftly correcting the work Tony had done. 

The brush clinked as Loki dropped it back in its jar, releasing Tony and walking away to bathe. Tony stared after him, biting his lip. Then he turned back to the mirror.

He’d picked one of the best pieces from his wardrobe. It was a slim cut green and gold robe, with black embroidery and tiny jewels in a pattern of insect wings. Loki seemed particularly fond of it, and usually it was one of Tony’s favorites. Tony carefully straightened the collar.

He went back to fussing with his hair. It was a good while before Loki was back, fully dressed and extending his hand to go. Tony hopped up from the stool. Loki squeezed his hand, then bent down and kissed his forehead. “What a stunning little thing you are tonight.” 

“I try.” 

They appeared in one of the gardens that Tony had come to learn belonged to Thor. Already, people were milling about. A thrill rushed through Tony. 

He didn’t usually care _that_ much, but tonight he felt excited, like he wanted something to happen.

Loki’s arm wrapped around his shoulder, directing him towards a couple a few meters away. Tony nodded along as they spoke, gazing out over the crowd. When he spotted Lucius, he smiled.

It was a while before Lucius inevitably made his way over to greet Loki. 

“Prince Loki! What a delight it is to see you tonight. I must confess that I’ve been curious about your thoughts on redesigning the roses in the southern garden.” 

Loki smiled back at Lucius, holding his champagne glass to his lips for a moment. “It is a fine pursuit to endeavor to grow the pearl roses there, when the sun fluted have always flourished in that spot. I am looking forward to the attempt.” 

“I had hoped you might.” Lucius raised an eyebrow in Tony’s direction then, taking note of how Tony was blatantly leaning against Loki, until Loki had to wrap his arm around Tony’s shoulders again to help keep Tony’s balance. “It will be a grand feat indeed,” he said, ignoring Tony. 

“I am certain they will be a fine attraction for many to come visit.” Loki pushed back slightly against Tony’s weight, his attention on Lucius. “What do you think of the plans for the new fountain?” 

Lucius twirled his glass, the golden wine in it spinning. “I wish to see it.” Tony sighed. Lucius glanced at Tony, then to Loki. 

“Ah, you wish to withhold judgment.” Loki answered, some conspiratorial amusement in his voice. Lucius looked back at him with a spark in his eyes.

“You know me well.” 

“It’s hard not to,” Tony answered. “Everyone here knows what you’re like.” They both turned to him at once. Loki seemed surprised, though he was hiding it well. Lucius was openly shocked. He smoothed his shoulders in one graceful movement though, turning to Loki with a slight smile.

“It appears your mortal is in a foul mood tonight,” he said, voice dripping with understanding. 

“I’m not in a foul mood,” Tony said. “I’m stating the facts. You’re an easy—”

“—I find that I must agree with you, Freylinia.” Loki spoke over Tony, the grip on his shoulders pulsing in a warning. “I fear he may have been more exhausted than I realized today. You know how fragile they are.” Loki gave him a curt nod. “I should not have brought him. Pardon me a moment, if you would.” 

“Of course, Prince Loki. Take a moment to care for him.” 

They appeared in their bedroom. 

Tony took a step away from Loki, slipping out from under his arm and untangling his hand. 

Loki stared at him, his gaze too exacting, too insightful. There was obvious anger, but it was held back by such confused concern that Tony felt guilty, then angry in return. The seconds dragged on as Loki studied him, and Tony couldn’t fill the silence under that look. “We shall speak of this when I return,” Loki decided. 

“Or we could just not,” Tony said. “Lucius is a dick.” Loki’s lip flinched as though he wanted to argue. Then he was gone.

Tony kicked off his shoes, then threw himself on the bed. He rolled over, grabbing one of the star pillows and hugging it to his chest. He just wanted to punch Lucius in the face. Was that too much to ask? Lucius was always making little backhanded comments towards Loki and getting in the way. He deserved it.

Tony flung the pillow at the curtain. He didn’t want to just lay here. He paced in a circle around the room before deciding to go to the lab.

It was where Loki found him a few hours later. Tony was still wearing the makeup and his robes from the party, though he’d clipped back his sleeves with a few of Loki’s hairpins that had been left in the lab before.

Tony was hunched over a blueprint. Loki stood beside him, waiting. 

Tony debated not acknowledging him. He bit his cheek. Loki would wait him out. That wouldn’t work. 

The second he locked eyes with Loki, he didn’t find the irate expression he’d expected. Loki was pissed, for sure, but that awful concern was there. When he spoke though, Tony wouldn’t have known by his voice alone. “It is not like you to provoke Freylinia without reason.” Loki paused. “Something happened when you visited your realm that has upset you. Tell me what it is.” 

“I’m fine,” Tony argued.

“Oh?” Loki tilted his head. “So you wish for me to interpret your disgraceful behavior this evening as without cause? Shall I lay out how you have antagonized one of Thor’s court who will feel no pity or remorse exacting his revenge? He only stays his hand against you because I will it, Tony.” 

Tony flinched. It was a fuck up. He knew that. He’d just gotten comfortable. “He holds no fondness for you. Another human in your place without my protection would be punished, and not in the way that you enjoy.” Loki’s anger flared up in his words, finally.

“It’s not like I even said anything that bad—”

“—It does not have to be exceptional to warrant punishment. You _know_ that.” The energy in the room seemed to flux with Loki’s anger. “I know you do not care for him on the best of days, but must you cause strife? Do you wish to? What do you hope to achieve by upsetting him?” 

Tony shrugged. He didn’t have good answers, and he knew it. “It doesn’t have to be that big of a deal.” 

“Endangering yourself is not of importance?” 

The worried, almost helpless look in Loki’s eyes when he asked Tony broke him. 

“Okay.” Tony turned away. He couldn’t look at Loki when he said it. “Listen. Alright. Nothing—nothing bad happened when I went home. Just, it wasn’t home. It hasn’t been in a while.” 

Tony set his pencil down.

Loki leaned against the edge of the desk, waiting for Tony to explain.

“I—” Tony rolled his eyes, frustrated at himself. “I love Rhodey, as my friend,” he added, knowing Loki’s tendency for jealousy. “And a lot of my other friends. But I go back and see them and the whole time I’m there, I’m wondering what you’re doing here, wishing the food there didn’t taste like cardboard, wishing I was back here in the lab working on something or exploring places with you, or having lunch together.” 

“Do you wish to stop returning?”

“No!” Tony took a deep breath. “I’m not saying I don’t want to go back. I’m just—I’ve known how I’ve felt for a while, but each time I go back, it just gets more obvious that that’s not home anymore.” Tony flexed his hand. “Don’t take this as being about you, but the feeling kind of sucks. I just feel so different from everyone when I’m back.” 

“Because you are different.” 

“That’s not—well, yeah, I am, but that’s not the point.” Sometimes Tony had to explain things to Loki that he would’ve assumed Loki would know. “I’m just saying that’s why I blew off some steam at Lucius. And he’s a prick and I don’t feel bad about it.” 

Tony hugged his arms over his chest, then let go with a breath and leaned back into his chair, running a hand over his face.

Loki was quiet for too long. When Tony finally steeled his nerves to look over, Loki was in thought. 

Loki’s eyes brightened. “This is truly your home.” 

“I mean, duh.” Tony said, giving Loki a look. “I’ve made myself way too at home here with you for a guy that doesn’t think this is his home.” 

“But you do not understand the joy this brings me! I have wondered if you would miss your mortal realm and wish to return there permanently.” 

“I mean, it’s been almost a year, Loki. And I’m happy here.” Tony tapped his fingers against his knee. Loki perched on the end of Tony’s desk, grasping the edge and leaning towards Tony. His delighted, absurdly fairy-like expression slowly dimmed, as though Loki was carefully tucking it away for safekeeping.

“You will recall that our borrowed heirs are traded as young children. My native realm was all I had known and loved when I was brought here.” Loki rarely spoke about the experience, and Tony hadn’t learned much about Loki’s native realm or his other family, unless it was an offhanded remark. 

Loki gazed down at his hands. “I understand that the situation is not the same, but I am familiar with the sensation of returning. It is peculiar to return to the grand hall and remember it through the eyes of a child.” 

“Or to remember what I once was, and see how the realm changes when I am away, and I am not there to witness the change, so it comes as a surprise all at once.” 

Tony nodded. “Yeah—it’s a lot of change. And everything there is happening so much faster.” 

Loki’s foot grazed Tony’s own, a behavior that Tony had taught him. Warmth flashed through Tony’s chest. Tony reached out, setting his hand on the desk beside Loki’s thigh in an open invitation.

Loki’s fingers slid between his own, holding him tight. Loki smiled back when Tony did. 

“Perhaps next time, you may speak with me of feeling that way over antagonizing Freylinia, or anyone else?” 

“Yeah.” Tony grinned. “That’s fair.” 

“I am glad.” Loki squeezed his hand. For a moment they were quiet, and Tony felt settled. “There is the matter of punishment for your remarks tonight.” 

Of course. Tony fought off a smile. “Can it be a fun one?” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “How often must I remind you that you cannot salivate over a punishment so? I will double it just for you being so trying.” 

“So two tears and a spanking?” 

Loki gave an exasperated sigh, then leaned over and kissed Tony’s forehead. “I think I will be more creative than that.” 

“Oh?” Tony asked, smiling. 

Loki looked away, still exasperated but unable to hold his own grin back. “I will not divulge you on what it is now. Instead, I’d rather hoped that I could convince you to leave your lab and come sit with me in one of the gardens beneath the starlight.” 

“That’d be nice.” Tony rose from the chair, grateful to have Loki there. “Can you get the kitchen to send up some hot chocolate?” 

Loki nodded. “And those pastries you are so fond of,” he said, wrapping his arm around Tony as they started for the door. 

Tony comfortably leaned towards him, not at all pushy as he’d been earlier in the night. His robes glinted in the light, a matching set to Loki’s. 

“Awesome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where this story ends for these two. I think they'll have a lot of growing to do still, and it's something that will take years and years. But ultimately, being together, I think they've made each other's lives a lot happier. Thank you so much to everyone for reading along, it was fun! 💙 I have no idea what I'll be writing next. Stay well out there!


End file.
